Pharmacists trained to provide free alcohol advice and intervention

Free alcohol advice and treatment for people on medication will soon be available at Royal Borough pharmacies.

The Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) from the Royal Borough, Slough and Bracknell Forest, as well as NHS Berkshire East, have collectively been awarded a grant of £10,250 from the South East Alcohol Innovation Programme to provide free alcohol identification and brief advice (IBA) training to 25 pharmacies across East Berkshire.

Training begins on Tuesday 23 November, with two further sessions planned for December.

Once trained, pharmacies will be able to offer advice to patients who come into the pharmacy for their medication reviews. Each pharmacist will be paid for every advice session they complete and will be encouraged to follow up on those whose drinking levels are higher than recommended. All pharmacies have been encouraged to apply with the first 25 pharmacies making contact being part of the project.

Pharmacists will be encouraged to focus on patients with physical conditions such as hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, liver conditions or diabetes which can be exacerbated by alcohol as well as those with mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression.

Participants will learn:

• how to identify the early signs of harmful drinking
• how to address the issue of drinking
• what advice you can give people who may have a drinking problem.

Cllr Simon Dudley, lead member for adult and community services, said: "This is a great opportunity for pharmacists to make a valuable impact on the lives of many patients. I am delighted that the Royal Borough's drug and alcohol action team is once again providing innovative solutions to alcohol treatment and together with its partners have secured grant funding for this important work.

"Providing IBA in pharmacies will broaden the availability of alcohol advice and treatment in an easily accessible environment. As no appointment is needed, this should make it more appealing and accesible to patients and the advice given is impartial and non-judgemental."

Lorette Sanders, primary care pharmacist at NHS Berkshire East, said: "Our network of local pharmacies are really excited about taking on this role. They are at the heart of our communities and well placed to offer professional, confidential advice and support about alcohol as well as many other health issues."

The sessions will include role plays to ensure that pharmacists will feel confident in approaching the subject of alcohol with their patients. All attendees will be required to complete an online e-learning training module before attending the practical session.

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