In Australia, mental illness accounts for nearly 30% of the burden of non-fatal disease. Nearly half of all Australians aged between 16 and 85 years will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime. For people experiencing depression and anxiety, management is commonly provided in primary care settings. Although the appropriate use of medication is an integral part of effective management for these conditions, psychosocial issues such as stigma and discrimination, and medication related issues such as side effects and delayed onset of beneficial effects can result in medication being used sub-optimally. This can limit provision of care, and consequently, delay recovery from mental illness. Strategies are therefore needed to improve the medication management and subsequent health outcomes for Australian mental health consumers. With an extensive network of practices across Australia, and as the primary suppliers of medication to the public, community pharmacists and pharmacy support staff are well placed to provide support to mental health consumers and their caregivers, subsequently playing a greater role in mental health. However, preliminary studies indicate community pharmacy staff lacked the skills and confidence required to be effective in a mental health care role.