College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Room 3D01.3, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E5, Canada.
Education Innovation Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, USA.
Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2021 May 1;16(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s13011-021-00374-x.
Non-medical use of psychoactive substances is a common harmful behavior that leads to the development of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). SUD is a significant health concern that causes adverse health consequences and elevates the economic burden on the health care system. SUD treatment plans that utilize a patient-centered approach have demonstrated improved treatment outcomes. It is essential for health care providers, including community pharmacists, to understand patients' needs and prioritize them. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the perspective of patients living with SUDs or who used substances non-medically regarding community pharmacist services and the delivery of services in a community pharmacy setting. The study took place in Saskatoon, a small urban center of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Qualitative methodology was used for this research inquiry. Four focus groups were conducted, with a total of 20 individuals who had experienced substance use and accessed community pharmacy services. The discussion of the four focus groups was transcribed verbatim and analyzed independently by two researchers. Agreement on the emergent themes was reached through discussion between the two researchers.
Data analysis resulted in four themes that described participants' perspectives about community pharmacists. The four emergent themes are: 1) conflicted experiences with community pharmacists, 2) lack of knowledge concerning community pharmacists' extended services, 3) negative experiences in Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) program, and 4) needs from community pharmacists.
There is significant potential for the patient-pharmacist relationship to address the varying needs of patients who use substances and improve their overall health care experience. Patients who use substances are receptive to pharmacists' services beyond dispensary; however, respectful communication, provision of drug-related information, and counseling are among the primary demands. Future research should focus on studying the impact of meeting the needs of patients on their treatment outcomes.
非医疗用途的精神活性物质滥用是一种常见的有害行为，可导致物质使用障碍（SUD）的发生。SUD 是一个严重的健康问题，会导致不良的健康后果，并增加医疗保健系统的经济负担。采用以患者为中心的方法的 SUD 治疗计划已显示出改善的治疗效果。了解患者的需求并将其作为优先事项对医疗保健提供者（包括社区药剂师）至关重要。因此，进行这项研究是为了探讨患有 SUD 或非医疗用途使用物质的患者对社区药剂师服务以及在社区药剂师环境中提供服务的看法。该研究在萨斯卡通进行，萨斯卡通是加拿大萨斯喀彻温省的一个小型城市中心。
本研究采用定性方法进行。共进行了 4 次焦点小组讨论，参与者共有 20 人，他们都有过物质使用经历，并曾使用过社区药房服务。将四个焦点小组的讨论逐字转录，并由两位研究人员分别进行分析。通过两位研究人员之间的讨论，达成了对新兴主题的共识。
数据分析得出了四个主题，描述了参与者对社区药剂师的看法。四个新兴主题是：1）与社区药剂师的矛盾经历，2）对社区药剂师扩展服务缺乏了解，3）阿片类激动剂治疗（OAT）计划中的负面经历，4）对社区药剂师的需求。
患者-药剂师关系具有很大的潜力，可以满足使用物质的患者的各种需求，并改善他们的整体医疗保健体验。使用物质的患者愿意接受药剂师提供的除配药以外的服务；然而，尊重的沟通、提供药物相关信息和咨询是他们的主要诉求。未来的研究应集中于研究满足患者需求对其治疗结果的影响。
