ADDICTION: THE ROLE OF THE PHARMACIST
As frontline healthcare providers, pharmacists are often best placed to help treat substance misuse…
S
ubstance misuse continues to affect an increasing number of patients across Northern Ireland.
The recent report: ‘Statistics from the Northern Ireland Substance Misuse Database: 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020 Experimental Statistics’ showed that, in Northern Ireland in 2019/20, a total of 4,264 clients were recorded on the Substance Misuse Database as having presented to services for problem substance misuse.
More than one third of clients (35.8%) presented to services indicating problem drug use only, while just under one third (32.8%) presented indicating problem alcohol use only. A similar number (31.5%) of clients presented to services indicating both drug and alcohol misuse.
The majority of clients were male, with only around a fifth of clients presenting to treatment for either drugs only, or for drugs and alcohol, being female. Worryingly, however, two fifths of those presenting to treatment for problem alcohol use only were female.
44
pharmacyinfocus.com
Cannabis was the most commonly-used drug, with almost two thirds of clients who use drugs reporting taking it. This was followed by cocaine (45.8%); benzodiazepines (31.4%); pregabalin (21.8%) and Ecstasy (16.2%).
Drug dealing and illicit drug use may be commonly thought as a venture associated behind closed doors or in ‘dark alleyways’, but it is widely known that an increasing number of people are becoming addicted to prescription drugs. The problem is no longer considered ‘news’. Indeed, as far back as 2018, Northern Ireland’s top pathologist, Professor Jack Crane, shocked the province by revealing that the powerful prescription painkiller Tramadol was causing more deaths than Class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine!
Over-the-counter painkillers are another problem that’s on the increase. Despite the guidelines for the sale of codeine-based painkillers being tightened in 2009 to minimise the risk of overuse, it is thought that almost one
million people across the UK could be misusing OTC painkillers containing codeine.
Commonly used to treat pain and fever, codeine is commonly and inappropriately thought to be harmless, however, codeine is an opioid, a derivative of morphine, and therefore could be used as a gateway to further drug use and abuse. As such, the importance of tight regulation of sale cannot be understated.
One of the main ways in which pharmacists can reduce substance misuse-related harm is through the provision of advice and information on: • mental health issues, such as, anxiety, depression and paranoia
• advice and help on physical health problems, such as, constipation or pain relief (opioids)
• how to avoid risky combinations of drugs, or that of drugs and alcohol
• blood-borne viruses
• referral to other local treatment and care services or to an A&E department
PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLER TRAMADOL CAUSED MORE DEATHS IN NI IN 2018 THAN CLASS A DRUGS SUCH AS HEROIN AND COCAINE!
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
