Study highlights training needs for supervised methadone providers
“Supervised methadone in Staffordshire and Shropshire” was
released last week |
Training is essential for all staff involved with supervised methadone schemes and should be multidisciplinary, according to a recent study.
The study, undertaken by researchers at Keele University and published
last week by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, looked
at supervised methadone schemes in four drug action team areas across
Staffordshire and Shropshire.
The researchers reveal that 60 per cent of pharmacists identified a need
for training on drug misuse and blood-borne diseases.
Catriona Matheson, senior research fellow, department of general practice
and primary care, University of Aberdeen, was an external consultant
for the work. She commented: “Training needs in managing aggression,
as well as the basics of understanding addiction and the use of methadone,
were specifically noted. The profession should consider how to facilitate
this training need at a higher level.” Dr Matheson pointed out
that there is considerable scope for joint training of pharmacists and
other health professionals, a key suggestion of the report.
According to the study, around half of GPs said that they required further
training. Dr Matheson suggested that pharmacists should understand this
and be supportive if possible: “This would help integrate pharmacists
into the multidisciplinary model of care that is clearly needed given
that the report noted the limited input of pharmacists to the wider team.”
The study report also says that only one of the four drug action teams
had guidelines that made recommendations on pharmacist training. “Analysis
of the questionnaire responses and the semi-structured interviews reveal
a gap between the contract specifications and the reality of implementation,” the
author says.
Individual pharmacists have considerable scope to give out more health
promotion information, said Dr Matheson. Of the pharmacists surveyed,
more than 60 per cent did not provide leaflets, less than half never
gave face-to-face advice on managing drug misuse and nearly three quarters
gave no advice on HIV prevention. Dr Matheson explained: “I sometimes
think pharmacists consider drug users to know what they are doing and
all about what they are taking — this is not the case and pharmacists
should use their own knowledge more confidently.”
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader