What Pharmacists Can Do About the Opioid Crisis

Have you seen the Netflix series “The Pharmacist”? I watched it the other day and really enjoyed it! It was inspiring to see how this pharmacist turned a personal tragedy into a professional triumph.

It is mostly about the opioid crisis in the United States, focused on a small town outside of New Orleans. I was disappointed to hear see how little has truly been done about it in the 20 years since it started. Here in California, pharmacists have only been required to have access to and check CURES, our Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, for a few years. Doctors only were required to check it since last year! There is still a lot of work to be done with regards to controlling opioid use but pharmacists can make a big impact!

Pharmacists are well-positioned to contribute to safe opioid use because they dispense opioid prescriptions and are easily accessible by patients. Pharmacists can:

• Counseling patients on opioid risks

• Dispensing naloxone

• Educating patients on opioid storage and disposal

• Utilizing prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP)

• Providing resources for addiction treatment

I created an e-book that guides you through all this information and provides helpful information, links, and resources. Download it here.

Also, check out this great article, Pharmacists’ Services in the Opioid Crisis: Current Practices and Scope in the United States. It describes current and potential roles for pharmacists to combat the United States opioid crisis, and also discusses the key factors affecting pharmacists’ abilities to provide these services.