PHARMACY'S ROLE IN ADDRESSING OPIOID CRISIS: STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

Background: The opioid crisis poses a serious threat to public health in Canada due to the ongoing rise in opioid-related mortality and the substantial financial burden it places on the country's healthcare system. Strategies for lowering the risk of opioid overdoses and other opioid-related problems brought on by the use of prescription opioids must be developed and put into action. In addition to being one of the most approachable frontline healthcare professionals and experts in medication, pharmacists are well-positioned to provide effective opioid stewardship through a pain management programme that enhances patient pain management, supports appropriate prescription and dispensing of opioids, and promotes the safe and appropriate use of opioids to reduce the risk of opioid misuse, abuse, and harm. Methods: To identify the elements of a successful community pharmacy-based pain management programme, including the facilitators and barriers to be taken into account, a literature search was done in PubMed, Embase, and grey literature. Talk: A good pain treatment programme should include multiple components, treat co-morbid disorders than pain, and include a part for pharmacists to continue their education. Considerations should be made for overcoming implementation obstacles, such as improving pharmacy workflow, addressing stigma, attitudes, and beliefs, as well as pharmacy compensation and utilising the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act exemption's broader application to ease implementation. Conclusions: To illustrate the influence pharmacists can have on the management of chronic pain and as one potential way to help curb the opioid crisis, future work should involve the development, implementation, and evaluation of a multicomponent, evidence-based intervention strategy in Canadian community pharmacies. Future research ought to calculate the program's associated costs as well as any savings the healthcare system may see.