Services Database Supervised Administration (Hampshire Area)

Inclusion Services offer a range of interventions to help reduce the harmful consequences of drug dependency. They will assess the risk, progress, safeguarding and health and wellbeing of service users including the need for supervised consumption.

At times of crisis or relapse or where risk has been identified, supervision may need to be temporarily reinstated. This will provide the service user with additional support during times of need and ensure closer monitoring of health and well-being.

Pharmacists play a key role in the care of substance misusers enabling service users to comply with their prescription regime by supervising consumption. They have a unique role in that they have regular and sometimes daily contact with service users and are able to monitor and offer advice on a patient’s health and wellbeing.

Supervised consumption of opiate substitute medication, the diversion and illicit supply of controlled drugs is kept to a minimum and helps to prevent deaths and so by integrating pharmacists into the service users journey, this role can be

developed to maximise the positive impact treatment can have for service users.

The aims of a community pharmacy based supervised consumption service include:

• ensuring the patient receives the prescribed dose
• reducing diversion of prescribed doses
• providing an opportunity for the pharmacist to make a regular assessment of patient compliance with treatment and of their general health and wellbeing
• providing an opportunity for the pharmacist to build a therapeutic relationship with the patient that is beneficial to promote heath and harm reduction
• reducing the risks of drug related overdose and deaths
• minimising the risk of accidental consumption by children

Pharmacists will be required to complete the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) open learning module “Substance misuse” (Pharmacists having completed levels 1 and 2 of the RCGP Certificate of Management of Drug Misuse in Primary Care will be excused the above requirement).

Pharmacists  will additionally be encouraged to complete the CPPE Mental Health workshop series.

Pharmacists are also encouraged to complete the CPPE Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults programme.

All practitioners and staff delivering the service should also attend at least one partnership CPD event per year.