Patient Experience and Satisfaction with Opioid-Related Screening and Intervention in North Dakota Community Pharmacies

Abstract

Background Screening for patient-level opioid-related risk in the community pharmacy setting has increased patient education about opioids and naloxone distribution, helping to mitigate the impact of the opioid epidemic. However, patient experience and satisfaction with opioid screening and education is unknown. Fear of patient dissatisfaction may limit pharmacists' willingness to implement screening activities. Objective To report patient experience and satisfaction of a convenience sample of patients undergoing screening and intervention for opioid-related risk as a part of the ONE Program (formerly ONE Rx). Methods Patients who received ONE Program screening and intervention from their community pharmacist were recruited to participate in a 9 item survey regarding their experience and satisfaction. Results were analyzed by urban and rural location of participants. Results Urban (n = 42) and rural (n = 32) patients who completed the survey reported positive experiences namely feeling comfortable with the ONE process (86.5%), the process taking an appropriate amount of time (93.2%) and feeling safer as a result of their pharmacist’s attention to their opioid-related medication risk (86.3%). Urban patients were significantly more likely than rural patients to report positive attitude and behavior changes as a result of the ONE process. Conclusion High levels of patient satisfaction and positive experience with the ONE Program screening and intervention process for patient-level opioid-related risks may encourage community pharmacists to more broadly implement such activities.