Suicide Prevention in Pharmacies

Authors: Centre for Suicide Prevention and Living Hope: A Community Plan to Prevent Suicide in Edmonton

Last October, Centre for Suicide Prevention (CSP) and Living Hope published a blog about safe messaging campaign materials that have been developed to promote suicide prevention in pharmacies. We’re happy to report that the campaign has found its way into Alberta pharmacies. 

Lori Anheliger, a pharmacist in Medicine Hat, found out about the campaign in the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association newsletter, The Capsule. Lori had taken some continuing education courses on suicide prevention and saw the importance of educating her staff about what she had learned. Before her training, she admittedly was not comfortable with asking “the question” about suicide, but learning that asking someone about suicide does not put the idea in their head made her feel more at ease with asking the question. 

After reading The Capsule article, Lori recognized an opportunity to bring suicide prevention to her pharmacy and requested campaign materials. Her pharmacy became the first in Alberta to promote the campaign, which  offers messaging for both customers and staff. Customer-facing signage for pharmacy shelves and countertops promotes safe storage of medications and information about where to find help. Staff-facing signage lists warning signs for people who may be considering suicide and how staff members can reach out and connect that person to help. Lori relays that frontline staff have found the staff-facing signage helpful both as an educational tool and as a quick reminder to be aware during interactions with customers or patients who might be exhibiting behaviour suggesting distress, and potential suicidality.

Lori has championed this campaign in her network of pharmacists and colleagues in southern Alberta. After receiving her campaign materials, Lori asked  CSP to send 15 additional sample packs that she then distributed to a network of pharmacists. She has shared the customer take-away cards with other pharmacists and colleagues in Lethbridge have requested the sample packs of signage. 

There are many points of intervention  with someone considering suicide. Given that medications are a common means of suicide attempts in Alberta, this makes pharmacists pivotal in suicide prevention. We hope this campaign will continue to gain momentum thanks to pharmacists like Lori, who recognize suicide prevention as a priority in their communities.