The evolving role of the pharmacist for individuals with serious mental illness.

Adults with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression encounter many barriers in receiving appropriate health care services and are at a markedly increased risk of premature mortality. A range of clinical pharmacist roles in community mental health may help offset the increasing issues related to access to care and contribute to recovery-oriented systems of care for individuals with serious mental illness. In this commentary, we offer a description of one such model operationalized within a large community mental health center. Clinical pharmacists provide substantial contributions toward optimizing care for individuals with serious mental illness through medication therapy management, cardiovascular risk reduction, and various other interventions to help positively impact the health disparity these individuals face.