Ahead of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month in September, some promising steps have been taken to make accessing treatment a little easier.

As the discussion about mental health continues, a location in Regina recently became the first pharmacy of its kind to offer services for mental illness.

This is considered a big step for those seeking treatment, and Donna Bowyer, Director of The Canadian Mental Health Association, feels as though it's a matter of understanding.

"Recognizing that people with a mental illness are people first who happen to have an illness and that we shouldn't be treating them any differently than we do other people who have other illnesses, like diabetes or cancer or arthritis or anything else. These are people that are looking for help (and) looking for support, and that's what we need to be able to provide."

Having qualified psychiatric pharmacists on site and the properly educated staff is essential to appropriately executing such services. Bowyer explains why a pharmacy is naturally a good location for this type of assistance.

"That's where people come; they have their prescriptions, they have to understand about the medication that they are taking. But its also a safe place for them to maybe have a conversation with a pharmacist, ask them questions that they may not have felt comfortable asking other people, because they do have a relationship with their pharmacy."

As an advocate for removing the stigma around mental health, Bowyer added that a number of local pharmacies have already identified the need for more training in this area. Some have even expressed interested in partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) on various topics as the need for more aid remains on the minds of pharmacists in the area.