Objective: To explore pharmacists' beliefs, practices, and experiences regarding opioid dispensing.
Design: Mailed survey.
Setting: The province of Ontario.
Participants: A total of 1011 pharmacists selected from the Ontario College of Pharmacists' registration list.
Main Outcome Measures: Pharmacists' experiences with opioid-related adverse events (intoxication and aberrant drug-related behaviour) and their interactions with physicians.
Results: A total of 652 pharmacists returned the survey, for a response rate of 64%. Most (86%) reported that they were concerned about several or many of their patients who were taking opioids; 36% reported that at least 1 patient was intoxicated from opioids while visiting their pharmacies within the past year. Reasons for opioid intoxication included the patient taking more than prescribed (84%), the patient using alcohol or sedating drugs along with the opioid (69.9%), or the prescribed dose being too high (34%). Participants' most common concerns in the 3 months before the survey were patients coming in early for prescription refills, suspected double-doctoring, and requests for replacement doses for lost medication (reported frequently by 39%, 12%, and 16% of respondents, respectively). Pharmacists were concerned about physician practices, such as prescribing benzodiazepines along with opioids. Pharmacists reported difficulty in reaching physicians directly by telephone (43%), and indicated that physicians frequently did not return their calls promptly (28%). The strategies rated as most helpful for improving opioid dispensing were a provincial prescription database and opioid prescribing guidelines.
Conclusion: Pharmacists commonly observe opioid intoxication and aberrant drug-related behaviour in their patients but have difficulty communicating their concerns to physicians. System-wide strategies are urgently needed to improve the safety of opioid prescribing and to enhance communication between physicians and pharmacists.
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