The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7488 p143
9 February 2008

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News summary

Consider pharmacy role in alcohol treatment services

Community pharmacists’ potential to discuss alcohol misuse with patients opportunistically needs to be considered by those developing treatment services, according to the Welsh Assembly Government.

The WAG’s consultation on treatment of alcohol misuse argues that investment in evidence-based alcohol treatment is likely to be cost effective and that community-based approaches should be the preferred option.

There is, it says, “potential for primary care to make a major contribution to the delivery of interventions … through the identification of potential and actual alcohol misuse, provision of brief interventions and shared care”.

It adds that, although the evidence base is not yet strong, the potential for a contribution from community pharmacy in the delivery of opportunistic brief interventions should be considered.