Delphi survey of experts' opinions on strategies used by community pharmacists to reduce over-the-counter drug misuse.

Aim: To explore the views of experts within the fields of pharmacy and addiction on the value of current strategies and possible alternatives and to reach an agreement on best practice in the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines which are liable to misuse.

Design: Using a modified Delphi approach, an anonymous, international, three-stage, postal questionnaire was conducted that generated both qualitative and quantitative data.

Participants: Of those contacted by telephone (164) from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States, 109 experts (66%) agreed to take part.