Pharmacists' readiness to provide naloxone in community pharmacies in West Virginia

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess West Virginia pharmacists' stocking and dispensing practices of opioid-related medications and to identify the educational needs relating to providing naloxone in community pharmacies.

Design: A cross-sectional, anonymous, 49-item survey was created and validated to assess the educational needs of West Virginia community pharmacists.

Setting: West Virginia.

Participants: The data collection instrument was administered to 266 pharmacists currently licensed in West Virginia at 6 continuing pharmacy education events throughout the state from March 1 to June 15, 2016.

Outcome measures: Pharmacists' educational needs were determined using the Extended Parallel Process Model, which has 4 main constructs: perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, response efficacy, and self-efficacy. Pharmacists' stocking and dispensing of opioids and related medications were also assessed.

Results: Pharmacists completed 157 surveys. They were mostly male (56.1%), full-time employees (67.5%), worked mostly in community pharmacies (69.4%), and had a mean age of 50.19 years (SD = 13.62). The newly adapted opioid perceived efficacy and perceived severity of opioid adverse events scales were tested for reliability and validity. Only 20.4% of the community pharmacists surveyed felt comfortable selling naloxone without a prescription. As for the other opioid-related medications, only 53.3% stocked buprenorphine and 74.8% stocked buprenorphine/naloxone.

Conclusions: As the most accessible health care providers, community pharmacists are acutely aware of how the opioid epidemic affects their communities. Some pharmacists in West Virginia are hesitant to stock and dispense opioids and opioid-dependence medications. Although this may decrease the flow of potentially abused drugs into the community, it may also restrict access to necessary therapy for patients with opioid use disorder. Furthermore, pharmacists in West Virginia are not yet comfortable stocking and dispensing naloxone. Tailored educational materials can help in controlling the pharmacists' fear and reinforce the benefits of over-the-counter naloxone use.