(1320) Assessing Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Substance Use Disorders and Their Dispensing of Recovery Medications

Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to assess pharmacists’ perceptions of substance use disorders. The secondary objective is to determine if pharmacists’ perceptions serve as a barrier between patients with substance use disorders and treatment with recovery medications.

Substance use disorders and deaths due to overdose are critical issues in the United States. In 2021, an estimated 16.5% of people had a substance use disorder within the past year. Healthcare providers play a crucial role in combatting this epidemic. However, providers can also potentially serve as a barrier to treatment due to their personal beliefs regarding substance use disorders. For instance, a 2019 national study showed that although most primary care providers generally understood opioid use disorder is a treatable condition, a majority had stigmatizing attitudes against it, affecting the care they provided. Like other healthcare providers, pharmacists are involved in the treatment of substance use disorders. Specifically, pharmacists administer and/or dispense many recovery medications, such as naltrexone for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD), and buprenorphine and methadone for OUD. This study analyzes pharmacists’ beliefs regarding substance use disorders as well as if these beliefs act as a barrier to patients in obtaining recovery medications.

Methods: This is a prospective survey-designed study. The study will be submitted to the Regis University investigational review board by October 31, 2023. Data collection is anticipated to begin November 2023 using Qualtrics software. The study population will include community pharmacists across the state of Colorado. Surveys will be distributed to participants electronically. Participation is voluntary, and surveys are completed anonymously. The survey questions will assess the respondents’ demographics, their perceptions of substance use disorders, and how often they dispense and/or refuse medications for the treatment of substance use disorders. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test of independence, with support from a statistician.

Results: N/A

Conclusions: N/A