Regardless of practice setting, it is imperative that pharmacists be able to either participate in generating new knowledge or use the ever-expanding body of literature to guide patient care. However, competing priorities in Pharm.D. curricula and residency training programs have resulted in limited emphasis on acquiring research and scholarly skills. Factors likely contributing to this reduced focus include the lack of curricular and postgraduate training standards emphasizing the development of research skills, time to commit to scholarly activity, and accessibility to experienced mentors. Strategies for increasing scholarly activity for pharmacy students and residents should therefore continue to be a focus of professional degree and residency training programs. Several resources are available for academic planners, program directors, and institutions to augment scholarly experience for pharmacy trainees and clinicians. This commentary highlights the importance of providing research opportunities for students and residents, describes the potential barriers to these activities, and provides recommendations on how to increase the instruction and mentoring of trainees to generate and use research.
Objectives
The current study tested screening feasibility and described the behavioral, mental, and physical health of patients filling prescriptions for opioid medications in the community pharmacy setting.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional survey in rural/urban community pharmacies with adult non-cancer patients. The survey included validated measures for opioid medication misuse risk, drug and alcohol use, and physical and mental health problems. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression evaluated relationships between opioid medication misuse risk and patient demographics, behavioral, mental, and physical health.
Results
164 patients completed the survey (87% response rate) revealing positive screens for prescription opioid misuse risk (14.3%), illicit drug use (7.3%), hazardous alcohol use (21.4%), depression (25.8%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 17.1%). Bivariate analyses revealed increased odds of a positive opioid medication misuse risk score with a positive screen for illicit drug use in the previous year (OR=3.91, 95% CI=1.05–14.63) and PTSD (OR=6.7, 95% CI= 2.54–17.69). In adjusted multivariable analyses, these relationships strengthened such that a positive screen for illicit drug use (AOR=12.96, 95% CI= 2.18–76.9) and PTSD (AOR=13.3, 95% CI= 3.48–50.66) increased odds for a positive opioid medication misuse risk score.
Conclusion
Findings confirmed the feasibility of screening risk factors and positive opioid medication misuse risk among community pharmacy patients. Future research should validate these findings as a foundation to intervention development.
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