Developing and evaluating training for community pharmacists to deliver interventions on alcohol issues

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate community pharmacists' readiness to provide brief interventions on alcohol and to use study findings to develop training to enable them to screen for hazardous or harmful drinking and intervene appropriately. SETTING: Community pharmacies in Scotland. METHOD: Eight community pharmacies in Greater Glasgow, Scotland were purposively selected on the basis of pharmacy (independent, multiple), population deprivation index, location (rural, urban, suburban), and local level of hospital admissions for alcohol misuse. Baseline pharmacist telephone interviews covered: current practice; attitudes towards a proactive role; and perceived training needs. A two-day course was designed focusing on: consequences of problem alcohol use; attitudes; sensible drinking; familiarity with client screening using the Fast Alcohol Screening Tool; brief interventions and motivational interviewing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge of problem alcohol use and brief interventions; attitudes; competence. Results Participants felt it was feasible for trained pharmacists to provide brief interventions. Core training needs centred on communication and alcohol related knowledge. The training course was positively evaluated and led to increases in knowledge, attitudinal scores and self related competence. CONCLUSION: A training programme for pharmacists to deliver brief interventions to problem drinkers was successfully delivered resulting in enhanced knowledge, attitudinal scores and self related competence.