Psychiatric Pharmacists Play Critical Role in Mental Health Care
As psychiatric pharmacist, Farah Khorassani, health sciences associate clinical professor at the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, has a passion for improving psychotropic prescribing and pharmacy education.
Khorassani specializes in psychiatry and practice in the inpatient setting where she works with the treatment team to optimize medication regimens and provide medication education for patients.
Her inspiration to pursue a career in pharmacy stemmed from caring for her grandmother.
“I became interested in pharmacy when I was a teenager helping my grandmother organize her pillbox,” says Khorassani. “My grandmother was on multiple chronic medications, and I became fascinated with how they all worked. I got a pharmacy technician job and was exposed to community pharmacy. I really enjoyed developing relationships with patients and learning about the medications. After this, I decided to pursue a career in pharmacy.”
Khorassani received her Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from the University at Buffalo and her PharmD from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Worcester, Massachusetts.
She later completed a postgraduate year one residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at Cornell and Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and a postgraduate year two residency in psychiatric practice at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Khorassani’s interest in psychiatry was inspired by another family member who also shared her penchant for service.
“I became interested specifically in psychiatry at a young age when hearing about my mother’s work as a social worker in a psychiatric hospital,” says Khorassani, who would also go on to work at a state psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts during her advanced pharmacy practice experiences rotation.
There, Khorassani taught medication education groups to adolescent and adult patients and designed activities to enrich their medication knowledge.
“I enjoyed working with and getting to know my patients,” says Khorassani. “Many patients that require medication treatment for psychiatric disorders do not like taking their medications. I was always up for the challenge of making medications ‘fun’ and reinforcing the importance of adherence.”
An advocate for mental health treatment, Khorassani believes pharmacists play a key role in advancing health equity for the mental health needs of our communities.
“The US is in dire need of more healthcare providers to treat mental health issues,” says Khorassani. “There are thousands of patients who do not have access to care. To treat these patients, we need all hands on deck.”
In a 2021 report conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly 1 in 3 adults had either a substance use disorder of mental illness in the past year, and 46 percent of young adults 18-25 had either a substance use disorder or any mental illness.
With mental illness on the rise, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Khorassani believes pharmacists play a key role as an accessible healthcare professional who can support people living with mental illness.
“Pharmacists can help with improving access to mental health services,” says Khorassani. “My hope is that more patients will seek out mental health treatment and pharmacists can assist with caring for them. In turn, I hope pharmacists can continue to assist with providing person-centered care and improving patient outcomes.”