Piloting an opioid callback program in community pharmacies.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Public Health
• Pharmacovigilance

Background:

• Despite decreased opioid prescribing, overdose deaths have risen significantly.
• Community pharmacists are accessible healthcare providers crucial for opioid safety education and counseling.
• Patient callbacks are vital for ensuring appropriate medication use and managing adverse events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the development of a novel opioid callback program for community pharmacies.
• To evaluate the pilot implementation of this initiative in two community pharmacy settings.

Main Methods:

• Collaborative development of the opioid callback process and data collection tools with community pharmacists.
• Descriptive analysis of callback data, including opioid disposal, security, and safety.
• Qualitative interviews with pharmacy staff to identify implementation facilitators and barriers.

Main Results:

• An 87.8% callback completion rate was achieved across 36 successful patient follow-ups.
• Pharmacists were more likely to discuss naloxone with chronic pain patients (89.5%) versus acute pain patients (46.2%).
• The program enhanced patient awareness of safe opioid storage, disposal, and naloxone ownership.

Conclusions:

• Community pharmacists are pivotal in addressing the opioid crisis through medication safety, education, and disposal support.
• The pharmacist-led opioid callback program serves as a viable model for improving patient outcomes.
• Program expansion can enhance patient knowledge on safe opioid use, overdose treatment, and medication disposal.