Academic detailing with ambulatory pharmacists to support naloxone counseling

Pharmacists are critical to public health in supporting safe use of prescription opioids by ensuring that all patients are offered and counseled on naloxone. Academic detailing may be an effective educational outreach strategy for improving pharmacists' knowledge and behavior related to naloxone.

To describe an academic detailing program to pharmacists on the topic of counseling and promoting naloxone to patients.

Pharmacists were recruited by convenience sampling. Three pharmacists who were experienced with academic detailing techniques provided the education. Survey data were collected to evaluate the program.

Thirty-three pharmacists participated, including 16 sessions that were delivered virtually. The pharmacists worked in a variety of ambulatory settings, including chain or corporate-owned pharmacies (58%), hospital-owned specialty pharmacies (15%), hospital-owned community pharmacies (15%), and independently owned or other pharmacies (12%). Twenty-eight pharmacists (85%) completed an immediate post-session evaluation survey. Twenty-seven pharmacists (96%) indicated they felt the information presented will impact their practice or patient care. Eleven pharmacists (33%) completed a second post-session survey, self-reporting improvements related to counseling patients about naloxone.

Participating in academic detailing supports community pharmacists' providing patient counseling about naloxone. Further study, particularly related to virtual academic detailing, is necessary to understand the full potential of academic detailing to pharmacists.