The attitudes and practice strategies of community pharmacists towards drug misuse management: A scoping review

Abstract

What is known and objective: Community pharmacists have a key role to play in addressing drug misuse. The objective of this research was to systematically review the current evidence and investigate the attitudes and practice strategies of community pharmacists towards drug misuse management.Methods: Data were extracted from 19 studies retrieved via a three-step search strategy using the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework for conducting scoping reviews. Results and Discussion: The attitudes and practice strategies of pharmacists towards drug misuse management and relevance to years of practice experience were discussed in seven of the 19 studies. Pharmacists reported gaps in knowledge and insufficient education and training on drug misuse-related topics. Barriers to the effective management of drug misuse included lack of time and staff training. The most commonly reported strategy to address drug misuse was referral back to the doctor. Eight of the studies identified the benefits of real-time prescription monitoring systems. Pharmacists have a key role to play in addressing drug misuse. Opportunities exist in the development of new and innovative approaches for harm minimization led by pharmacists, and in the examination and evaluation of the pharmacists' role in referral services, interventions and screening.

Community Pharmacists' Roles in Optimising Opioids Therapy for Chronic Non-malignant Pain Patients: a Qualitative Study.

“…Empathy lends patients a sense of fulfilment and connectedness that encourages them to reveal their "true state of affairs" and optimises the effectiveness of pharmacist-patient consultations but relatively neglected in healthcare [34]. A systematic review found a clear connection between patients with substance use disorders and negative attitudes, mostly implicit, of healthcare professionals resulting in shorter periods of patient engagement or avoidance of patients [35]. Also, it is reported that once a problematic medication-taking behaviour has been identified, community pharmacists may avoid confronting patients, due to the sensitive nature of PO use, and the potential for patients' perceived sense of stigma.…”

Practical guide to undertaking scoping reviews for pharmacy clinicians, researchers and policymakers

“…The authors have published several pharmacy-related scoping reviews. [12][13][14][15] This commentary will outline the various stages of a JBI scoping review as applied to a review of the characteristics and the outcome measures used to assess the effectiveness of medication safety programs in acute care (See Table 1). 15…”

“…Examples of presentation of results in the pharmacy specific reviews discussed include tabular formats, flow charts and diagrams. 14,27…”

“…Hoppe et al, 2020 14 To investigate the attitudes and practice strategies of community pharmacists towards drug misuse management What medications and medication classes do community pharmacists perceive as being misused? What are the attitudes of community pharmacists towards their knowledge concerning drug misuse topics such as addiction, pain management and conflict resolution?…”

Assessing content and factors influencing responses to information requests in community pharmacies in Jordan: A simulated patients study

“…Community pharmacists are well-positioned for patient-centered roles due to their convenient location and extended hours of operation [1,4]. Hence, it is important to outline ways to support community pharmacists in their roles of changing patients' life styles, reinforcing medication adherence, simplifying dosage regimens, and communicating with patients to establish the desired therapeutic outcomes [3,6]. The simulated patient (SP) approach is widely used to assess practice assessment since it captures a spontaneous observation without individuals being aware of being evaluated [7].…”