Pilot shows pharmacists can provide alcohol consumption advice
Community pharmacists in Scotland have been successfully trained to provide advice to patients on alcohol consumption, the latest issue of the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice reports (2008;16:17).
In a pilot study, nine pharmacists underwent a two-day training course and recruited 70 subjects over a three-month period (PJ, 12 February 2005, p165).
The pharmacists assessed subjects’ alcohol consumption against Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network recommendations and provided information on health risks, as well as advice on reducing alcohol intake, to harmful or hazardous drinkers.
Researchers assessed the pilot using focus groups and semi-structured telephone interviews, finding that the pharmacists believed the project was worthwhile and experienced no strong negative reactions from clients. Only 19 of the 40 subjects who agreed to be followed up by the researchers could be contacted.
“Most reported being happy to have taken part and were generally positive about the experience. Some found it valuable as they were not previously aware of the sensible drinking guidelines,” the authors state.
Dorothy McCaig, senior lecturer, Robert Gordon University school of pharmacy, Aberdeen, was one of the study authors. She told The Journal that the researchers hope to do a full-scale trial in the future, but that funding for the work is not currently available.
She pointed out that the pilot was carried out in a select group of highly motivated individuals to assess the feasibility of the pharmacy scheme. There were not enough participants, nor was it the aim of the pilot, to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions, she added.
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