Academic Journal
Pharmacists' Experiences With Cases of Suspected Drug Misuse: A Cross-Sectional Study.
| Τίτλος: | Pharmacists' Experiences With Cases of Suspected Drug Misuse: A Cross-Sectional Study. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Shammas F; Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland., Kotoula C; Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland., Meyer-Massetti C; Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland., Jenkinson SP; Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; Swiss Pharmacists Association pharmaSuisse, Bern-Liebefeld, Switzerland., Liakoni E; Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland., Bekka E; Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. |
| Πηγή: | Substance use & addiction journal [Subst Use Addctn J] 2026 Jul; Vol. 47 (3), pp. 656-666. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Dec 31. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Sage Publishing Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9918750589006676 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2976-7350 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 29767342 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Subst Use Addctn J Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Thousand Oaks, California : Sage Publishing, [2024]- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Pharmacists*/statistics & numerical data , Pharmacists*/psychology , Prescription Drug Misuse*/statistics & numerical data , Drug Misuse*/statistics & numerical data , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*, Humans ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Male ; Adult ; Switzerland ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Risk Factors |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Medication misuse is a major public health concern, with community pharmacies playing a vital role in addressing it. This study assessed Swiss pharmacists' awareness, experiences, risk factors, and knowledge gaps regarding potential drug misuse cases. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to the Swiss Pharmacists Association (pharmaSuisse) members and to 23 cantonal pharmacists' associations individually. The anonymous SurveyMonkey® survey covered pharmacists' demographics, pharmacy characteristics, suspected frequently misused substances and profiles of potential persons with a substance use disorder. Data were analyzed using the complete case approach. Univariable tests and multivariable regression models investigated potential predictors of suspected misuse rates. Results: Of 1560 pharmacies, 188 (12%) responded with 207 pharmacists participating (64% <51 years, 78% women). All 198 responders (100%, 198/198) indicated suspicion of misuse cases throughout their career, with 47% (85/181) reporting >6 suspected cases in the past 3 months. Benzodiazepine-like anxiolytics and sedatives (80%, 151/188), as well as nasal decongestants (63% 117/186) and opioids (50%, 92/186), were reported as the most frequently suspected substances. Potential persons with a substance use disorder were described by the majority as independent of sex (90%, 163/181) and age (69%, 126/182). Commonly reported signs of suspected misuse were repeated visits (94%, 176/188), refusal of alternatives (78%, 146/188), and request for larger quantities (76%, 142/188). No significant differences were found between the number of suspected cases in the past 3 months based on pharmacists' characteristics (age, sex, education, position), pharmacy's location (eg, city/countryside), or additional services (eg, night shifts). Conclusion: Virtually all participants reported suspected medication misuse, albeit in varying frequencies. Anxiolytics/sedatives, nasal decongestants, and opioids were the most common classes reported to be subject to potential drug misuse. Guidelines for handling suspected misuse cases are needed, informed by further research using structured data beyond pharmacist-reported incidents, such as pharmacy dispensing records, and hospital or emergency department data. |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Switzerland; cross-sectional study; drug misuse; pharmacists practice patterns; substance use disorder |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20251231 Date Completed: 20260625 Latest Revision: 20260625 |
| Update Code: | 20260625 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/29767342251395486 |
| PMID: | 41472642 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
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