Supervised self-administration of methadone at community pharmacies: the introduction of a new service

AIM . To investigate (i) the feasibility and acceptability to pharmacists of a supervised self-administration of methadone service in community pharmacies in East London and City Health Authority and (ii) patient compliance. DESIGN . Collection of data on patient compliance and behaviour, and self-completion questionnaires for pharmacists at start and end of study period. SUBJECTS AND SETTING 9 Selected community pharmacists and methadone patients in City and East London Health Authority. OUTCOME MEASURES . Patient compliance and adherence to patient agreement within pharmacies, attitudes towards service provision before and after study period, contact with prescribers and police. RESULTS . There was a high level of compliance with prescribed supervised doses of methadone. Pharmacists reported few serious incidents. Contact with prescribers related mainly to prescription-related issues. Contact with police was minimal and did not change significantly after the introduction of the supervised administration of methadone service. Pharmacists had some concerns about support available to diem, and these were similar at the end of the study. Pharmacists became more positive about the contribution they could make to treatment. CONCLUSION . From the pharmacists' perspective, the supervised self-administration of methadone service was introduced to East London and City Health Authority in a relatively trouble-free manner. Pharmacists reported few problems with patients and compliance with supervised doses was high.