Services Database Supervised Consumption & Interval Dispensing for Service Users with a Substance Misuse Problem

A four-way agreement will be signed by the client, prescriber, keyworker and the pharmacy allowing the client to have their administration of medicine(s) supervised by a pharmacist. The agreement indicates standards of acceptable behaviour and the consequences of their breach. In addition, the commitment for pharmacist feed-back to prescribers through the supervision payment scheme makes it important that the patient is aware that their actions may be reported back to their drug worker.
On first contact the pharmacist should check the details of any introductory letter and should register the patient on the Patient Medication Record (PMR) system. A method of confirming patient identification is crucial. The client must be identified correctly before a dose is made available.
The times between which the dose may be collected should be agreed, bearing in mind restrictions which might be imposed by the patient’s work or domestic arrangements, and any which might apply in the dispensing pharmacy. Patients are to be advised that no ‘out-of-hours’ service is available. In 100-hour pharmacies, it is not expected that the service should be available at all times, but it must be available between 9.00 and 17.00 from Monday to Saturday.
Patients should be treated with courtesy and respect. The pharmacist should be friendly and supportive with an understanding and professional attitude. In addition, the patient should be given a practice leaflet detailing additional professional services offered by the pharmacy; health promotion is an important issue for drug patients, the pharmacist should take every opportunity to provide advice on diet, exercise and oral hygiene.

The lead pharmacist and any nominated additional pharmacist(s) must have attended accredited harm reduction training in order for the pharmacy to be accredited to the Cornwall Pharmacy Supervised Consumption and Interval Dispensing Service.