Addressing the opioid epidemic through community pharmacy engagement: Study protocol for a randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy practice
• Public health
• Opioid overdose prevention

Background:

• Pharmacists are hesitant to dispense naloxone due to communication discomfort regarding opioid overdose.
• Existing training lacks sufficient focus on effective patient communication strategies for naloxone.
• The Nalox-Comm module was developed to enhance pharmacists' self-efficacy in discussing naloxone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the protocol for evaluating the Nalox-Comm training module's impact on naloxone dispensing.
• To assess if enhanced communication skills lead to increased naloxone accessibility.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 60 pharmacists across 62 rural pharmacies in the southeastern U.S.
• Pharmacists undergo simulated patient interactions before and after completing either standard training or the Nalox-Comm module.
• Naloxone dispensing data will be collected and compared between groups over three months post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Hypothesis: Pharmacies receiving Nalox-Comm training will show higher naloxone dispensing rates compared to the control group.
• Data collection is ongoing; results will quantify the impact of communication-focused training.

Conclusions:

• The Nalox-Comm training is designed to overcome communication barriers in rural settings.
• Improved pharmacist confidence and communication are expected to increase naloxone availability and use.
• This intervention aims to improve outcomes in opioid overdose prevention efforts.