Substance use & misuse
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Substance use & misuse · Jun 2013
The feasibility of pharmacy-based naloxone distribution interventions: a qualitative study with injection drug users and pharmacy staff in Rhode Island.
This study analyzed qualitative data from a Rapid Policy Assessment and Response project to assess the feasibility of a potential pharmacy-based naloxone intervention to reduce opioid overdose mortality among injection drug users (IDUs). We conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with 21 IDUs and 21 pharmacy staff (pharmacists and technicians). ⋯ Implications for future pharmacy-based overdose prevention interventions for IDUs, including pharmacy-based naloxone distribution, are considered. The study's limitations are noted.
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Substance use & misuse · Jun 2013
Comparative StudyPrescription drug abuse: a comparison of prescriber and pharmacist perspectives.
This study compared perceptions of prescribers and pharmacists (N = 89) regarding multiple aspects of prescription drug abuse. Questionnaires were developed to assess perceptions regarding the prevalence of prescription drug abuse, self-perceived communication competence, and additional communication and prescription drug abuse domains. Pharmacists perceived a larger percentage of patients (41%) to be abusing opioid pain relievers as compared with their prescriber colleagues (17%). ⋯ Self-efficacy beliefs for detecting and discussing prescription drug abuse with patients were low for both cohorts. Implications and limitations are noted. Year of data collection: 2012 SETTING: Rural Appalachia Data Collection Instruments: Prescriber- and pharmacist-specific survey instruments Data Analysis Techniques: Independent samples t-test; Mann-Whitney U test.