Steven Buxton

Tell us about your career so far in the mental health sector.

I specialised in mental health as a Pharmacist in the UK in 2014, since then I’ve been lucky enough to work in specialist clinical pharmacist roles in mental health in-patient settings, community mental health teams, GP practices and primary care. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a prescribing Pharmacist in my roles in the UK too.

I’m currently the Lead Pharmacist for Mental Health Services in Canberra where I’m hoping to develop pharmacist roles across mental health services here and show how having pharmacists as established members of the multidisciplinary teams can help to improve patient care through the safe and effective use of medications.

What made you choose a career in mental health? 

Seeing the positive patient outcomes and recovery that can be made with holistic patient centred care, medications are just one part of this picture. The focus on treating each patient as an individual and tailoring their care to them really appealed to me, rather than a one size fits all approach.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role? 

Developing services with regards to safe and appropriate use of medication, seeing improved patient outcomes when patients are involved in their treatment decisions, and developing the next generation of specialist mental health pharmacists.

What do you find most challenging about your current role?

Under funding in mental health services across health care in general.

What does a typical day for you look like? 

Supporting doctors to prescribe the right medication for specific patients, ad hoc teaching and learning with junior pharmacists, nurses and medics. Developing new models of care for delivering outpatient facing mental health services that involve specialist mental health pharmacists. Answering random queries regarding medication use. Reviewing governance processes for safe management of medicines.

No day is the same!

What are misconceptions you believe people have about working in the mental health sector?

1. That it is an intimidating or unsafe work space. However in my experience it has been the best multidisciplinary team experience and patient environment to work in.
2. That mental health is separate to physical health. There is no health without mental health, in mental health we’re as interested in physical health as both go hand in hand – especially in terms of deciding medication options.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in working in mental health?

Explore the different services that are available from in-patient, urgent response, community and out-patient facing services as well as more specialised services within mental health such as perinatal mental health, child and adolescent mental health, ADHD services for examples. There’s lots of options within the speciality itself.

1 in 2 people will experience a mental health illness in their lifetime – that’s the same statistic as a cancer diagnosis. Let’s talk, open up and support each other to live better lives – the future is what we make it together!

Steven Buxton