Many
pharmacists report feeling unprepared to interact with individuals who exhibit
suicide warning signs. In this seminar, Dr Carpenter will describe the
development of a new suicide prevention gatekeeper training programme called
Pharm-SAVES and present preliminary results on its impact on student pharmacists.
The programme is currently being evaluated as part of a randomised controlled
trial in the United States. Dr Carpenter has studied how pharmacists
communicate about sensitive topics, such as opioid overdose and suicide and is
particularly interested in how community pharmacists can increase access to
health services in underserved rural areas.