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Pharmacists’ Roles in the Identification, Prevention and Treatment of Substance...
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Pharmacists’ Roles in the Identification, Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

A special issue of Pharmacy (ISSN 2226-4787). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacy Practice and Practice-Based Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 2981

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Catriona Matheson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Healthcare and Community Research, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Interests: substance use; service delivery; reducing drug related harm
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Substance misuse refers to hazardous or addictive use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, and heroin), and prescription medications (e.g., opioids, gabapentinoids, and benzodiazepines). The DSM-5 classifies these as substance use disorders (addictions) and substance-induced disorders (intoxication/withdrawal). Substance misuse contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality, exacerbating conditions like HIV, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and respiratory disease. It also impacts workplaces through reduced productivity, absenteeism, and safety risks. Prescription drug misuse is prevalent across age groups, and dependence on prescription drugs can be challenging to identify and manage. Pharmacists play critical roles in prevention, education, and treatment. Their medication expertise positions them to identify substance use disorders, counsel patients, and ensure safe medication distribution. Pharmacists can improve treatment access and outcomes for affected individuals across pharmacy sectors of community, secondary, and primary care.

We invite you to share your approaches and successes on the pharmacists’ role in addressing substance use disorders. We welcome submissions of all types, including original research, brief reports of original research, reviews, and short communications. In addition, we welcome the submission of resident or trainee research projects that focused on substance use services. We hope that this Special Issue will inspire other stewards and practitioners to share their own practices, adopt new approaches, and innovate to advance the prevention and treatment of substance use problems.

Prof. Dr. Catriona Matheson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmacy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • substance use disorders
  • prescription drug misuse
  • pharmacists
  • drug safety
  • community pharmacy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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11 pages, 689 KB  
Article
Epidemiological Assessment of Benzodiazepine Dependence via Pharmacist-Led EMR Review in Pain and Palliative Care Institution
by Carlos Eduardo Estrada-De La Rosa, Felipe Alexis Avalos-Salgado, Daniel Osmar Suárez-Rico, Martin Zermeño-Ruiz, César Ricardo Cortez-Álvarez and Raymundo Escutia-Gutiérrez
Pharmacy 2026, 14(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy14010006 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1376
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are used routinely in cases requiring sedation for anxiety, insomnia, and procedures that require pain management, and daily use of these agents may extend over several months; therefore, monitoring patients is essential to reduce the risk of developing dependence. However, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are used routinely in cases requiring sedation for anxiety, insomnia, and procedures that require pain management, and daily use of these agents may extend over several months; therefore, monitoring patients is essential to reduce the risk of developing dependence. However, the high patient volume in pain and palliative-care settings often limits physicians’ ability to both conduct consultations and perform comprehensive evaluations. In this context, the pharmacist plays a key role in supporting patient care by contributing professional activities that enhance patient well-being, such as conducting systematic reviews of electronic medical records. This pharmacist-led EMR assessment enables the identification of benzodiazepine dependence patterns and supports a more robust epidemiological evaluation within the institution. Methods: A descriptive observational study (January 2022–May 2025) using electronic medical records and prescription data was conducted. Consecutive adults with an active BZD prescription and a documented BDEPQ-MX (Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire, Mexican version) were included. Outcomes were BDEPQ-MX categories (No dependence; Pleasurable effects; Perceived need; Dependence) and a binary endpoint was stablished as “any dependence” (either scored in Perceived need or Dependence category) vs. No dependence (either scored as No dependence or Pleasurable effects categories). Group comparisons used χ2, Student’s t, and one-way ANOVA. A logistic regression modeled any dependence; a general linear model (GLM) examined the BDEPQ-MX total score. Results: Of 181 complete cases, BDEPQ-MX categories were No dependence 33.2% (60/181), Pleasurable effects 7.2% (13/181), Perceived need 17.1% (31/181), and Dependence 42.5% (77/181); hence, 59.7% met “any dependence.” Women comprised 67.4% overall. Compared with No dependence, the any-dependence group had higher comorbidity (83.3% vs. 65.8%, p = 0.006) and markedly greater duration of BZD use (months) (22.6 ± 11.5 vs. 5.9 ± 4.9, p < 0.001), with no difference in daily dose (p = 0.6). Benzodiazepine medications shifted toward alprazolam in dependence (38.9% vs. 20.5%, p = 0.009) and away from clonazepam (43.5% vs. 58.9%, p = 0.042). In the adjusted model, the male sex was associated with lower odds of any dependence (aOR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11–0.76; p = 0.013), while the duration of BZD use (per month) increased the odds (aOR 1.32, 1.20–1.45; p < 0.001). In the GLM, the duration showed the largest effect on BDEPQ-MX total (F = 203.26; p < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.545). Conclusions: In this outpatient pain and palliative-care population, benzodiazepine-related dependence phenomena were common: 59.7% of patients met the criteria for dependence based on the pharmacist-led EMR review. The involvement of the pharmacist was essential, as this systematic evaluation would have been difficult to perform within routine medical consultations. The pharmacist’s contribution enabled a detailed epidemiological characterization, revealing that the exposure duration—more than daily dose—was the principal, modifiable correlate of dependence, and that alprazolam was disproportionately represented in the higher-dependence categories. These findings underscore the value of pharmacist-supported surveillance to identify and measure BZD dependance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacists’ Roles in the Identification, Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders)
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13 pages, 1665 KB  
Article
“Let’s Talk Stigma”: A Pharmacy-Based Program for Opioid Use Disorder Anti-Stigma Education in Pennsylvania
by Joni C. Carroll, Sophia M. C. Herbert, Kim C. Coley, Thai Q. Nguyen, Melissa A. Somma McGivney, Kelsey L. Hake, Jennifer Padden Elliott and Elizabeth Bunk Barton
Pharmacy 2026, 14(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy14010003 - 24 Dec 2025
Viewed by 952
Abstract
Opioid overdoses in the United States remain a significant public health concern. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is stigmatized, exacerbating negative health outcomes. Reducing stigma in healthcare, including in pharmacies, is critical. The “Let’s Talk Stigma” program was collaboratively developed with two schools of [...] Read more.
Opioid overdoses in the United States remain a significant public health concern. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is stigmatized, exacerbating negative health outcomes. Reducing stigma in healthcare, including in pharmacies, is critical. The “Let’s Talk Stigma” program was collaboratively developed with two schools of pharmacy, a local health department, and individuals with lived drug use experience. It aimed to reduce OUD-related stigma among pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, student pharmacists, and other allied health professionals. The program included six core components: a podcast, continuing education, a standardized curriculum for student pharmacists, training for pharmacy technicians and medical assistants, pharmacy outreach by student pharmacists, and partnerships with chain pharmacies. The anti-stigma podcast reached a global audience with nearly 22,000 listens, while local sessions engaged over 5000 individuals. These initiatives were integrated into Doctor of Pharmacy curricula, with student pharmacists distributing stigma-reduction kits in local pharmacies. A mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative data from participant reflections and quantitative data from surveys, podcast analytics, and attendance records, was used for program evaluation. Participants reported increased awareness of stigma, improved attitudes, and greater professional responsibility to reduce stigma. The program successfully leveraged partnerships, flexible delivery methods, and inclusion of people with lived drug use experience in its design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacists’ Roles in the Identification, Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders)
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