Feasibility and Acceptability of an Overdose Prevention Intervention Delivered by Community Pharmacists for Patients Prescribed Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

TY - JOUR

T1 - Feasibility and Acceptability of an Overdose Prevention Intervention Delivered by Community Pharmacists for Patients Prescribed Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

AU - Schofield, Joe

AU - Parkes, Tessa

AU - Mercer, Fiona

AU - Foster, Rebecca

AU - Hnízdilová, Kristina

AU - Matheson, Catriona

AU - Steele, Wez

AU - Mcauley, Andrew

AU - Raeburn, Fiona

AU - Skea, Lucy

AU - Baldacchino, Alexander

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by the Scottish Government’s Drug Deaths Taskforce, grant number DDTF-RF-19. Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2023/5/22

Y1 - 2023/5/22

N2 - There have been increases in prescriptions of high strength opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), but CNCP patients perceive themselves as being at low risk of opioid overdose and generally have limited overdose awareness. This study examined how an overdose prevention intervention (opioid safety education, naloxone training, and take-home naloxone (THN)) delivered by community pharmacists for patients prescribed high-strength opioids for CNCP would work in practice in Scotland. Twelve patients received the intervention. CNCP patients and Community Pharmacists were interviewed about their experiences of the intervention and perceptions of its acceptability and feasibility. CNCP patients did not initially perceive themselves as being at risk of overdose but, through the intervention, developed insight into opioid-related risk and the value of naloxone. Pharmacists also identified patients’ low risk perceptions and low overdose awareness. While pharmacists had positive attitudes towards the intervention, they outlined challenges in delivering it under time and resource pressures and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overdose prevention interventions are required in the CNCP population as this group has elevated risk factors for overdose but are commonly overlooked. Customised overdose prevention interventions for CNCP patients attend to gaps in overdose awareness and risk perceptions in this population.

AB - There have been increases in prescriptions of high strength opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), but CNCP patients perceive themselves as being at low risk of opioid overdose and generally have limited overdose awareness. This study examined how an overdose prevention intervention (opioid safety education, naloxone training, and take-home naloxone (THN)) delivered by community pharmacists for patients prescribed high-strength opioids for CNCP would work in practice in Scotland. Twelve patients received the intervention. CNCP patients and Community Pharmacists were interviewed about their experiences of the intervention and perceptions of its acceptability and feasibility. CNCP patients did not initially perceive themselves as being at risk of overdose but, through the intervention, developed insight into opioid-related risk and the value of naloxone. Pharmacists also identified patients’ low risk perceptions and low overdose awareness. While pharmacists had positive attitudes towards the intervention, they outlined challenges in delivering it under time and resource pressures and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overdose prevention interventions are required in the CNCP population as this group has elevated risk factors for overdose but are commonly overlooked. Customised overdose prevention interventions for CNCP patients attend to gaps in overdose awareness and risk perceptions in this population.

KW - community pharmacists

KW - opioid overdose risk

KW - chronic non-cancer pain

KW - prescription opioids

KW - overdose prevention

KW - overdose intervention

KW - naloxone

U2 - 10.3390/pharmacy11030088

DO - 10.3390/pharmacy11030088

M3 - Article

C2 - 37218970

VL - 11

JO - Pharmacy

JF - Pharmacy

IS - 3

M1 - 88

ER -