Methadone

[crit care]

OK, so as pharmacists we are seen as the "experts" in medicines, but this can be interpreted in different ways and to different degrees..

BBC News - Drug addicts 'spit out methadone substitute to resell'

and to highlight the quote which made me laugh out loud was "Lyndon Braddick, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said pharmacists were best able to judge whether an addict might benefit from a lower dose."

So inessence, we may as well just prescribe the dam thing! be much easier than getting a script for 60ml of methadone then advising the doctor the patient would actually benefit from 50ml instead....

right off to shove a broom up my a**e and sweep the floor! its written down in my job description somewhere!......

[johnep]

This is an old story, the addict would come in with a can in his hand already to spit into either in the pharmacy or immediately outside. We would make them have a drink of water to wash it down.
johnep

[Pharmanaut]

We always give them a drink of water, encouraging them to take a good drink to protect their teeth!
Then the only way to recover is regurgitation.
How do the powers that be recommend we stop them from doing that?
There must be something pharmacists could to to help...

[crit care]

but what about the recommending doses...would you all feel comfortable adjusting methadone doses based on the fact you see some of them on a daily basis, and may strike up some conversation along the lines of..."you alright"

[Pharmanaut]

but what about the recommending doses...would you all feel comfortable adjusting methadone doses based on the fact you see some of them on a daily basis, and may strike up some conversation along the lines of..."you alright"

No would not.
Why?
The environment of the pharmacy is not right for this.
Can't stop everything while we speak in detail and offer the right support for this to happen.
What happens if the discussion runs to 10 or 20 minutes?

[crit care]

the society think otherwise.....

[johnep]

If this is seen as a service that can be paid from central funds (more likely the global sum), then pharmacists will be subject to the same pressure as MURs.
johnep