ALCOHOL BRIEF INTERVENTIONS IN PHARMACY
ABI screening and ABI delivery can be given at the same time as other activities in pharmacies, such as prescription counselling or Medicine Use Reviews.
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NHS Borders
For information about the overall approach to delivery of ABI in NHS Borders email: susan.walker@borders.scot.nhs.uk
Community Pharmacy
Summary: Six community pharmacies are involved in delivering ABIs where appropriate as part of Keep Well assessments for those at risk of cardio-vascular disease. The pharmacies also provide information and advice to reduce risks and to signpost or refer on where indicated.
Delivery model: Opportunistic screening and delivery of ABIs.
Challenges: Capacity of pharmacists is limited, and while technicians do the initial work it is the community pharmacists who offer the brief interventions. Some of the people asking for this service are outwith the criteria for the Keep Well target group of those aged 40 - 64 years in socially deprived areas.
Contact details:
Susan Walker
ADP Development Officer
Borders ADP
susan.walker@borders.scot.nhs.uk
NHS Forth Valley
For information about the overall approach to delivery of ABI in NHS Forth Valley email: theresa.martinus@nhs.net
Community Pharmacy
Summary: Community pharmacy was identified as a setting willing to deliver alcohol screening and ABIs in deprived areas of high need, where there are relatively few GP practices engaged in an enhanced service programme. The aim was to extend the range of available settings, and accessibility of alcohol screening and ABI delivery, on an opportunistic basis.
Delivery model: Opportunistic screening and delivery of ABIs.
Supporting factors: The main factors have been the support of the Forth Valley ADP to progress the project. A few individual pharmacists and support staff who have an interest in health behaviour change activities have also made a significant contribution.
Challenges: The main challenge has been submission of data and encouraging the use of alcohol screening in the pharmacies. The main concern for pharmacists has been in relation to raising the issue during a consultation. Community Pharmacy has many competing pressures at present.
Contact details:
Theresa Martinus
FVADP Coordinator
theresa.martinus@nhs.net
NHS Grampian
For information about the overall approach to delivery of ABI in NHS Grampian email: cathyyoung@nhs.net
Community Pharmacy
Summary: Ten community pharmacies (of twenty that participated in a pilot randomised-controlled trial) were recruited in areas where there was low ABI delivery from other primary care (HEAT) providers.
The results from the pilot study are being used to inform the design of a large randomised-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening and ABIs in the community pharmacy setting.
Delivery model: Opportunistic screening, delivery of ABIs and follow-up.
Supporting factors: Training, pharmacist confidence, existing relationship between pharmacist and customer.
Challenges: Some pharmacists and their staff have been reluctant to be proactive about approaching customers for screening.
Contact details:
Margaret Watson
Senior Research Fellow
University of Aberdeen
m.c.watson@abdn.ac.uk
NHS Tayside
For information about the overall approach to delivery of ABI in NHS Tayside email: kirsty.licence@nhs.net.
Community Pharmacy
Summary: Evidence of the ability of a community pharmacy to engage with different communities, awareness of the high foot fall through community pharmacies and knowledge that this setting has shown an ability to deliver brief interventions to address smoking behaviour, led to the development of this service.
As this service model has not been widely tested, the objective of this pilot is to gain a greater understanding of the parameters that surround ABI delivery in pharmacies. Data is currently being collected to allow evaluation of the service.
Delivery Model: Opportunistic screening and delivery of ABIs.
Supporting Factors: Community pharmacies are keen to deliver services that increase the benefit that they can offer to their patients and understand that pharmacies are accessible to a diverse range of the population.
Challenges: A proactive service through which pharmacy staff approach patients, rather than patients approaching staff for services, is different to the normal model of care so can take some adjustment.
Contact Details:
Andrew Radley
Consultant in Public Health (Pharmacy)
NHS Tayside
Andrew.Radley@nhs.net