Moderator: Anne L. Burns, RPh, Vice President, Professional Affairs, American Pharmacists Association, and Member, National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit Advisory Board

CE Certified By: AAFP,ACPE,APA

Policies allowing for pharmacy-based distribution of naloxone are being implemented across the United States to mitigate the still staggering numbers of opioid-related overdose deaths. To maximize the impact of these policies, this session will outline strategies to help community pharmacists implement them fully.

Oregon and Washington allow patients and laypersons direct access to naloxone through community pharmacies. Presenters will explore their differing policy and implementation approaches, including an overview of current trainings and outreach materials. They also will present findings from an online survey distributed to pharmacists through listservs operated by the Oregon Board of Pharmacy and the Washington State Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission. Results provide insight into the implications of policy and personal efficacy on naloxone distribution practices and attitudes.

Naloxone access through pharmacies has expanded to every state. However, due to under-implementation, this rapid policy expansion has failed to show an impact on overdose rates or fatalities. Researchers will present novel evidence of passive and active collaborations, interventions, strategies and materials that optimized and expanded pharmacy-based naloxone implementation, resulting in significant increases in naloxone dispensing in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
- Describe different policy and implementation strategies for pharmacy-based naloxone distribution.
- Identify current strategies for naloxone-based trainings for pharmacists and patients.
- Outline the behavioral and psychological barriers and facilitators to pharmacy-based naloxone distribution.
- Compare and contrast effectiveness of posters, tear-offs, syringe bag stickers and register tear-offs to increase patient and caregiver engagement with pharmacy staff about naloxone.
- Discuss the increase in naloxone dispensing related to academic detailing and active application of scripted language used to initiate naloxone conversations.
- Apply data obtained from fidelity checks to the interventions discussed.