Scottish Executive funds pharmacy methadone study
Duncan Walker/iStockphoto
Drug misusers' outlook could improve |
Pharmacists in Scotland are to take part in a new research project to help improve outcomes for methadone patients. The study has attracted £184,000 of funding from the Scottish Executive over two years.
Pharmacists from 74 pharmacies across the country will be randomised
either to take part in motivational interviewing training or to continue
with their usual practice. Over 700 drug misuse patients will be involved.
Catriona Matheson, from the department of general practice and primary
care at the University of Aberdeen, is leading the research. She told
The Journal that the five health boards taking part would provide the
university with the details of pharmacists offering methadone services
to high numbers of drug misuse patients, and these pharmacists would
be invited to participate in the study.
Preparation for the project will start next month, and pharmacists will
begin to recruit patients in the new year. Pharmacists in the intervention
group will undergo two initial training sessions on motivational interviewing,
targeted around the pharmacy setting, with two further sessions taking
place at monthly intervals.
“Motivational interviewing as a counselling technique is increasingly
used with addictions,” Dr Matheson explained. “We aim to
see if this training can improve the way we deliver methadone maintenance
therapy, and improve treatment outcomes for patients.”
She hopes
that the intervention will help drug misusers to identify their own goals
and think about their behaviour, and to overcome ambivalence towards
treatment.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for pharmacists to demonstrate
to the wider community what an important impact they have in drug misuse
services,” Dr Matheson said.
“This is a controversial area
that is often shunned by other generalist health providers but pharmacists
have risen to the challenge of managing those with drug misuse problems
without prejudice. Even to receive funding for a project in this field
is an achievement as drug-related research is very underfunded. We are
looking forward to working with pharmacists and developing the scientific
evidence in this area, as well as enabling those with drug problems to
receive optimal care.”
Misuse of medicines The need
to reinforce the role of community pharmacy in ensuring medicines
are used appropriately has been highlighted by wholesaler AAH Pharmaceuticals
in its response to an All-Party Group on Drug Misuse inquiry into
drugs misuse.
AAH group managing director Steve Dunn said: “In our submission, we have
highlighted the role of community pharmacy in providing a nationwide network
of community pharmacies which patients can access easily. Clearly, the opportunity
to abuse or misuse medicines is far less when access is via a professional, regulated
network, such as pharmacy.”
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