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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 12 of 12 Research Studies DisplayedGreen TC, Soipe A, Baloy B
Pharmacy on-site overdose protocols and prevention of overdose.
The objective of this study was to assess prevalence of on-site pharmacy overdose incidents and pharmacist and site characteristics associated with having a known protocol for responding to on-site overdose emergencies. 3,100 pharmacists in Massachusetts and Rhode Island responded to an anonymous, online survey; 17.5% reported at least one suspected overdose at their practice and 42.9% reported knowledge of their practice’s overdose protocol. Pharmacists knowledgeable about protocols were also more likely to offer naloxone to patients and did not practice at chain pharmacies. The authors concluded that community pharmacies that stock and distribute naloxone are key parts of community efforts to address the opioid crisis, and that other healthcare settings should implement on-site overdose response protocols and cultivate a standard of providing naloxone to patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024021.
Citation: Green TC, Soipe A, Baloy B .
Pharmacy on-site overdose protocols and prevention of overdose.
Subst Abus 2022; 43(1):64-68. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2020.1736236..
Keywords: Provider: Pharmacist, Opioids, Medication, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Prevention
Alley L, Novak K, Havlin T
Development and pilot of a prescription drug monitoring program and communication intervention for pharmacists
The authors developed the Resources Encouraging Safe Prescription Opioid and Naloxone Dispensing (RESPOND) Toolkit to enhance community pharmacists' understanding of their role in addressing opioid safety; to improve integration of prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) into daily workflow; and to enhance communication between pharmacists, prescribers, and patients. In this paper, they described the development of the RESPOND Toolkit and summarized their findings from initial pilot testing. They concluded that the RESPOND Toolkit has promise as an effective and scalable approach to providing community pharmacist-tailored training to promote behavioral shifts supporting opioid safety for patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024227.
Citation: Alley L, Novak K, Havlin T .
Development and pilot of a prescription drug monitoring program and communication intervention for pharmacists
Res Social Adm Pharm 2020 Oct;16(10):1422-30. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.12.023..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Tools & Toolkits, Communication, Provider: Pharmacist, Provider, Training
Donovan E, Bratberg J, Baird J
Pharmacy leaders' beliefs about how pharmacies can support a sustainable approach to providing naloxone to the community.
The objective of this qualitative study was to understand how leaders in pharmacy organizations perceive pharmacies and pharmacy staff can optimize dispensing of naloxone. Five main themes emerged: importance of staff training to increase comfort; strength through coordination of efforts; pharmacies acting as community leaders in the opioid crisis; persisting stigma; ongoing workflow challenges. These results uniquely reflect the experiences and insights of pharmacy leaders implementing public health initiatives during the opioid crisis and can be used for gaining insight into how pharmacists can efficiently provide naloxone to their communities.
AHRQ-funded; HS024021.
Citation: Donovan E, Bratberg J, Baird J .
Pharmacy leaders' beliefs about how pharmacies can support a sustainable approach to providing naloxone to the community.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2020 Oct;16(10):1493-97. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.01.006..
Keywords: Provider: Pharmacist, Provider, Community-Based Practice, Opioids, Medication, Substance Abuse
Burstein D, Baird J, Bratberg J
Pharmacist attitudes toward pharmacy-based naloxone: a cross-sectional survey study.
This study examined pharmacist attitudes towards recommending pharmacy-based naloxone (PBN). The authors looked at the influence of gender, practice setting, number of years of practice, state location, and PBN involvement. Barriers and facilitators were also assessed. A 71-question survey was mailed to approximately 2900 licensed pharmacists in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and was open from April 5, 2016 until July 13, 2016. Out of those 2900, 402 responded (13%) and 245 were included in the analyses. The majority (79%) identified as White and 127 (51.8%) indicated that they had dispensed naloxone, with 85 having done so in the past 30 days. The results of the cross-sectional survey was used to develop the Opioid Overdose Prevention Attitude (OOPA) scale which consists of 3 subscales: Opioid Overdose Prevention Attitude, Public Health Attitude, and Naxolone Dispensing Attitude. Pharmacists working in a pharmacy that had a standing order or collaborative practice agreement to dispense naxolone without a physician’s prescription had a more positive attitude than other pharmacists.
AHRQ-funded; HS024021.
Citation: Burstein D, Baird J, Bratberg J .
Pharmacist attitudes toward pharmacy-based naloxone: a cross-sectional survey study.
J Am Pharm Assoc 2020 Mar-Apr;60(2):304-10. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2019.11.004.
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Keywords: Medication, Provider: Pharmacist, Provider, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Prevention
Kurian S, Baloy B, Baird J
Attitudes and perceptions of naloxone dispensing among a sample of Massachusetts community pharmacy technicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS024021.
Citation: Kurian S, Baloy B, Baird J .
Attitudes and perceptions of naloxone dispensing among a sample of Massachusetts community pharmacy technicians.
J Am Pharm Assoc 2019 Nov-Dec;59(6):824-31. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2019.08.009..
Keywords: Medication, Medication: Safety, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Provider: Pharmacist, Provider, Patient Safety
Bach P, Hartung D
Leveraging the role of community pharmacists in the prevention, surveillance, and treatment of opioid use disorders.
This narrative review explores the literature describing novel programs designed to capitalize on the role of the community pharmacist in helping to reduce opioid-related harms, as well as evaluations of existing practices already in place in the US and elsewhere around the world. Specific approaches examined include strategies to facilitate pharmacist monitoring for problematic opioid use, to increase pharmacy-based harm reduction efforts (including naloxone distribution and needle exchange programs), and to involve community pharmacists in the dispensation of opioid agonist therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS024227; 2902015000091.
Citation: Bach P, Hartung D .
Leveraging the role of community pharmacists in the prevention, surveillance, and treatment of opioid use disorders.
Addict Sci Clin Pract 2019 Sep 2;14(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s13722-019-0158-0..
Keywords: Medication, Opioids, Provider, Provider: Pharmacist, Substance Abuse
McCarthy DM, Russell AM , Effler MR
Implementation fidelity of patient-centered prescription label to promote opioid safe use.
The authors assessed implementation of a patient-centered "PRN" (as needed) label entitled "Take-Wait-Stop" (TWS) with three deconstructed steps replacing traditional wording. They found that exact intervention adherence was not achieved in the majority of cases, limiting impact, but that community pharmacies were responsive to new instructions, with higher implementation reliability requiring additional supports.
AHRQ-funded; HS023459.
Citation: McCarthy DM, Russell AM , Effler MR .
Implementation fidelity of patient-centered prescription label to promote opioid safe use.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2019 Sep;28(9):1251-57. doi: 10.1002/pds.4795..
Keywords: Opioids, Patient Safety, Health Literacy, Medication, Provider: Pharmacist, Provider
Donovan E, Case P, Bratberg JP
Beliefs associated with pharmacy-based naloxone: a qualitative study of pharmacy-based naloxone purchasers and people at risk for opioid overdose.
The purpose of this study was to understand factors that impact the likelihood of obtaining pharmacy-based naloxone. Results showed that several themes emerged from the interview data: individual, interpersonal, pharmacy, community, and societal, suggesting that these factors can be used to inform interventions seeking to increase the provision of pharmacy-based naloxone.
AHRQ-funded; HS024021.
Citation: Donovan E, Case P, Bratberg JP .
Beliefs associated with pharmacy-based naloxone: a qualitative study of pharmacy-based naloxone purchasers and people at risk for opioid overdose.
J Urban Health 2019 Jun;96(3):367-78. doi: 10.1007/s11524-019-00349-1..
Keywords: Medication, Provider, Provider: Pharmacist, Opioids, Risk, Substance Abuse
Hartung DM, Hall J, Haverly SN
Pharmacists' role in opioid safety: a focus group investigation.
This qualitative study explores the pharmacist's role in promoting opioid safety from the perspective of pharmacists and patients. Using focus groups, results showed that pharmacists expressed discomfort filling potentially high-risk opioid prescriptions and noted barriers such as lack of clinical information and discomfort policing high-risk prescribing; and that patients were concerned about pharmacists potentially overstepping their professional responsibilities by interfering with prescribers' clinical decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024227.
AHRQ-funded; HS024227.
AHRQ-funded; HS024227.
Citation: Hartung DM, Hall J, Haverly SN .
Pharmacists' role in opioid safety: a focus group investigation.
Pain Med 2018 Sep;19(9):1799-806. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnx139..
Keywords: Provider: Pharmacist, Opioids, Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety
Kim HS, McCarthy DM, Hoppe JA
Emergency department provider perspectives on benzodiazepine-opioid coprescribing: a qualitative study.
This study examined attitudes of emergency department residents, attending physicians, and pharmacists from three hospitals on coprescribing benzodiazepines and opioids. There is mounting evidence that this increases overdose risk. Focus groups were conducted using semistructured interviews which were audio-recorded and transcribed. Participants were reluctant to admit coprescribing and said when they did that specific discharge instructions were provided. The decision was also influenced by a provider’s belief in the efficacy of combination therapy as well as self-imposed pressure to escalate care or avoid hospital admission. They did not like the idea of using computerized alerts, but were support of pharmacist-assisted interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011; HS000078.
Citation: Kim HS, McCarthy DM, Hoppe JA .
Emergency department provider perspectives on benzodiazepine-opioid coprescribing: a qualitative study.
Acad Emerg Med 2018 Jan;25(1):15-24. doi: 10.1111/acem.13273..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Guidelines, Medication, Opioids, Practice Patterns, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Pharmacist, Provider: Physician
Green TC, Case P, Fiske H
Perpetuating stigma or reducing risk? Perspectives from naloxone consumers and pharmacists on pharmacy-based naloxone in 2 states.
This study examined perceptions and experiences of pharmacy naloxone from people with opioid use disorder, patients taking chronic opioids for pain, caregivers of opioid users, and pharmacists. It found that consumer groups differed in awareness of naloxone and availability at pharmacies, but all groups expressed support for the pharmacist's role and preferences for a universal offer of naloxone based on clear criteria.
AHRQ-funded; HS024021.
Citation: Green TC, Case P, Fiske H .
Perpetuating stigma or reducing risk? Perspectives from naloxone consumers and pharmacists on pharmacy-based naloxone in 2 states.
J Am Pharm Assoc 2017 Mar - Apr;57(2s):S19-S27.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2017.01.013.
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Keywords: Opioids, Provider: Pharmacist, Social Stigma, Substance Abuse
Werth SR, Sachdeva N, Roberts AW
North Carolina Medicaid recipient management lock-in program: the pharmacist's perspective.
The objectives of this study were (a) evaluate pharmacists’ perceptions of the implementation of the North Carolina (NC) recipient management lock-in program (MLIP) and (b) determine how the beliefs and attitudes of pharmacists could promote or inhibit its success. It concluded that, although possible improvements were identified, the NC MLIP has strong potential for success as it utilizes pharmacists’ medication gate-keeping role, while minimizing the effort required for successful implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Werth SR, Sachdeva N, Roberts AW .
North Carolina Medicaid recipient management lock-in program: the pharmacist's perspective.
J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2014 Nov;20(11):1122-9..
Keywords: Medicaid, Medication, Opioids, Provider: Pharmacist, Substance Abuse