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- Title
Emergency department physicians' and pharmacists' perspectives on take-home naloxone.
- Authors
Holland, Taylor J.; Penm, Jonathan; Dinh, Michael; Aran, Sohileh; Chaar, Betty
- Abstract
<bold>Introduction and Aims: </bold>Opioid overdose is an increasing burden world-wide and is a major cause of death in Australia. To reduce the number of opioid-related deaths, access to take-home naloxone has expanded in Australia and is now accessible without prescription. Emergency departments (ED) could be ideal settings for the distribution of take-home naloxone, due to regular encounters with patients who experience opioid overdoses. The aim of this study was to gain insight into ED physicians' and pharmacists' perspectives on take-home naloxone in the ED setting.<bold>Design and Methods: </bold>Semi-structured interviews were carried out with ED physicians and pharmacists about their perceptions of take-home naloxone. Participants were recruited through their involvement with professional bodies and through 'snowball' recruitment. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim to be analysed using an inductive thematic approach.<bold>Results: </bold>Twenty-five interviews were conducted with 13 pharmacists and 12 physicians. Responses were categorised into three main themes: (i) Attitudes-the majority of participants supported take-home naloxone in principle, but had numerous concerns; (ii) Clinical Application-where challenges in terms of its patient use, implementation and pharmacological actions were raised; and (iii) Logistical Considerations-where many hindrances in relation to the distribution of take-home naloxone from the ED such as time considerations, education and resourcing were discussed.<bold>Discussion and Conclusions: </bold>Despite the majority supporting take-home naloxone, participants identified barriers to take-home naloxone in the ED. In the future, emphasis should be placed on educating and training staff in the ED about take-home naloxone and implementing standardised protocols.
- Subjects
AUSTRALIA; EMERGENCY physicians; PHARMACISTS; NALOXONE; CAUSES of death
- Publication
Drug & Alcohol Review, 2019, Vol 38, Issue 2, p169
- ISSN
0959-5236
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1111/dar.12894