PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Meldon Kahan AU - Lynn Wilson AU - Elizabeth Francis Wenghofer AU - Anita Srivastava AU - Anne Resnick AU - Eva Janecek AU - Carolynn Sheehan TI - Pharmacists’ experiences with dispensing opioids DP - 2011 Nov 01 TA - Canadian Family Physician PG - e448--e454 VI - 57 IP - 11 4099 - http://www.cfp.ca/content/57/11/e448.short 4100 - http://www.cfp.ca/content/57/11/e448.full SO - Can Fam Physician2011 Nov 01; 57 AB - 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.