Preparing pharmacists to increase naloxone dispensing within community pharmacies under the Pennsylvania standing order

Santa, Heather; Amirova, Samira G; Ventricelli, Daniel; Downs, George E.; Nowalk, Alexandra; Pringle, Jan; Aruru, Meghana

doi:10.1093/ajhp/zxaa387

Cited by 13 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Stigma has been identified as a contributing factor to reduced access to harm reduction programs [ 23 ]. Almost half of the pharmacists in this survey indicated that they did not want to attract customers with SUD to their pharmacy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North Carolina pharmacists’ willingness to sell fentanyl test strips: a survey study

2023

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Background Although fentanyl test strips (FTS) can accurately determine the presence of fentanyl in unregulated substances, access to FTS remains limited. This study aimed to examine North Carolina community pharmacists’ attitudes and willingness to engage in various behaviors related to FTS sales and distribution. Methods A convenience sample of community pharmacists completed an online survey that assessed: (1) comfort initiating an FTS conversation; (2) willingness to sell FTS, distribute FTS instructions, counsel on FTS, refer patients to harm reduction organizations, and advertise FTS; (3) perceived barriers and benefits of selling FTS; and (4) interest in FTS training. Data were collected from March to May 2022. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results Of the 592 pharmacists who participated, most were somewhat or very willing to refer patients to harm reduction organizations for FTS (514, 86.9%), counsel on FTS (485, 81.9%), distribute FTS instructions (475, 80.2%), sell FTS (470, 79.3%), and advertise FTS for sale (372, 62.9%). The most commonly reported benefits of selling FTS were reducing overdose deaths in the community (n = 482, 81.4%) and participating in community harm reduction efforts (n = 455; 76.9%). Barriers commonly reported to selling FTS were: not knowing where to order FTS (n = 295, 49.8%) and discomfort initiating a conversation about FTS (n = 266, 44.9%). Most respondents (88.3%) were interested in FTS training. Conclusion North Carolina community pharmacists are willing to engage in various behaviors related to FTS sales and distribution. Most pharmacists were interested in receiving FTS training, which should be created to address pharmacist-reported barriers to FTS sales. Pharmacist distribution of FTS could increase access to FTS at the community level and has the potential to change drug use behavior and reduce overdose deaths.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North Carolina pharmacists’ willingness to sell fentanyl test strips: a survey study

2023

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“…20 Training on naloxone counseling for community pharmacists resulted in a reduction in stigmatizing attitudes and an increase in pharmacistreported con dence to appropriately identify, discuss, and dispense naloxone. 21 Pharmacist trainings should be created regarding FTS counseling, similar to trainings regarding naloxone counseling in an effort to increase pharmacist comfort and con dence in FTS distribution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North Carolina Pharmacists’ Willingness to Sell Fentanyl Test Strips: A Survey Study

Marley¹,

Ostrach

Carpenter³

2022

Preprint

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Background Although fentanyl test strips (FTS) can accurately determine the presence of fentanyl in unregulated substances, access to FTS remains limited. This study aimed to examine North Carolina community pharmacists’ attitudes and willingness to engage in various behaviors related to FTS sales and distribution. Methods A convenience sample of community pharmacists completed an online survey that assessed: (1) comfort initiating a FTS conversation; (2) willingness to sell FTS, distribute FTS instructions, counsel on FTS, refer patients to harm reduction organizations, and advertise FTS; (3) perceived barriers and benefits of selling FTS; and (4) interest in FTS training. Data were collected from March to May 2022. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results Of the 592 pharmacists who participated, most were somewhat or very willing to refer patients to harm reduction organizations for FTS (514, 86.9%), counsel on FTS (485, 81.9%), distribute FTS instructions (475, 80.2%), sell FTS (470, 79.3%), and advertise FTS for sale (372, 62.9%). The most commonly reported benefits of selling FTS was reducing overdose deaths in the community (n = 482, 81.4%) and participating in community harm reduction efforts (n = 455; 76.9%). Barriers commonly reported to selling FTS were: not knowing where to order FTS (n = 295, 49.8%) and discomfort initiating a conversation about FTS (n = 266, 44.9%). Most respondents (88.3%) were interested in FTS training. Conclusion North Carolina community pharmacists are willing to engage in various behaviors related to FTS sales and distribution. Pharmacists may benefit from FTS training that focuses on barriers to FTS sales. Pharmacist distribution of FTS could increase access to FTS at the community level, and has the potential to change drug use behavior and reduce overdose deaths.

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“…OEND training is not standardized and is, therefore, highly variable (Razaghizad et al., 2021). Policemen and women, pharmacists, fire fighters, and other people in health occupations typically have been trained in OEND to diagnose an overdose and respond accordingly (Ray et al., 2015; Santa et al., 2021; Winograd et al., 2017). However, often, by the time someone who has received OEND training is logistically able to administer care to someone who has overdosed, a bystander has already begun the rescue attempt.…”

Section: Oend Training In the Service Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

It's what the community demands: Results of community‐based emergency opioid overdose trainings

Febres‐Cordero¹,

Smith

Wulkan³

et al. 2022

Public Health Nursing

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Objectives: In response to a surge of drug overdoses involving polysubstance use among Atlanta service industry workers that resulted in the deaths of five people in the Atlanta area in the summer of 2021, a local community of harm reductionists and nurses organized opioid education and naloxone distribution (OEND) training sessions specifically customized for service industry workers in Atlanta. After the sessions, the nurses and harm reductionists asked attendants to participate in a study concerning their response to overdoses. The reason nurses and harm reductionists conducted the study was to determine the efficacy of OEND training adapted for those working in the service industries as well as to evaluate and possibly modify the training sessions for future use. This pre-post study examined if and how participants' knowledge and attitudes toward an opioid-involved overdose changed after engaging with the OEND training. If the study determined that the sessions were successful in teaching service industry workers how to mitigate the immediate and devastating effects of overdose, we recommend expanding and implementing both adaptable training sessions like the OEND training referenced, as well as accompanying studies to improve the training sessions' effectiveness. Design: The pre-post study used convenience sampling to recruit participants in emergent OEND training. Participants completed an abbreviated version the Opioid Overdose Attitudes Scale (OOAS) which measured how, and to what degree, they changed their attitudes towards overdoses and their responses to them. Participants also completed an abbreviated version of the Opioid Overdose Knowledge Scale (OOKS) which measured how effectively the OEND increased their knowledge when it came to properly responding to an overdose, which included implementing naloxone as part of immediate rehabilitation treatment. Paired nonparametric tests assessed changes in participants' OOAS/OOKS scores.

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Preparing pharmacists to increase naloxone dispensing within community pharmacies under the Pennsylvania standing order

Cited by 13 publications

References 42 publications

North Carolina pharmacists’ willingness to sell fentanyl test strips: a survey study

North Carolina pharmacists’ willingness to sell fentanyl test strips: a survey study

North Carolina Pharmacists’ Willingness to Sell Fentanyl Test Strips: A Survey Study

It's what the community demands: Results of community‐based emergency opioid overdose trainings

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