Pharmacist involvement in a chemical-dependency rehabilitation program.

Pharmacist involvement in a small hospital for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with chemical dependency is described. The pharmacist's primary responsibilities include provision of pharmaceutical services to meet the medical needs of patients during detoxification; development of detoxification protocols for management of withdrawal from drugs of abuse; education of patients and their families, other clinical staff members, and pharmacy students about the pathophysiology of addiction, treatment options, and the foundations of recovery; medication and addiction counseling; and multidisciplinary team support of recovery. To successfully fulfill this complex role, the pharmacist must have specialized education on alcoholism and addiction, develop good communications skills, and learn the dynamics of recovery support groups. The pharmacist employed at this hospital spends about 70% of her time with pharmaceutical services and 30% with counseling services. A pharmacist working in a chemical-dependency rehabilitation program has a unique opportunity to affect positively the physical and emotional health of the recovering individual by taking on responsibilities beyond those traditionally associated with pharmacy practice.