Implementation of a statewide program within community pharmacies to prevent opioid misuse and accidental overdose

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe the implementation of a statewide pharmacy program called ONE Rx (Opioid and Naloxone Education) within community pharmacies. SettingThirty community pharmacies. Practice descriptionCommunity pharmacies throughout the state of North Dakota were invited to participate. Pharmacists in North Dakota can legally prescribe and dispense naloxone. Practice innovationONE Rx is a statewide program that provides pharmacists with the education and tools to screen every patient who was prescribed an opioid medication for the risk of opioid misuse and accidental overdose. The goal of ONE Rx is to prevent opioid misuse and accidental overdose through patient screening and individualized education and intervention within the community pharmacy. EvaluationOutcomes to measure the implementation of ONE Rx included the number of pharmacists and technicians who participated in the training, the number of pharmacies who chose to implement ONE Rx, and the number of patients screened for the risk of opioid misuse and accidental overdose. ResultsThe ONE Rx training was completed by 240 pharmacists and 41 registered pharmacy technicians. Thirty community pharmacies implemented the program between October 2018 and May 2019, and more than 1700 patients were screened for the risk of opioid misuse and accidental overdose. ConclusionA statewide program to screen for opioid misuse and accidental overdose was successfully implemented.