Swiss Medical Weekly
Dispensing behaviour in relation to opioid-containing antitussives: a survey among community pharmacists
By Lucia Gasparovic, Dominik Stämpfli and Andrea Michelle Burden.
Abstract
Background
Opioid-containing antitussives are used to symptomatically treat dry coughs but are also consumed recreationally as euphoriant drugs, especially by teenagers and young adults. To curb misuse, in 2019 opioid-containing antitussives in Switzerland were relisted from over-the-counter to requiring a physician’s prescription or direct dispensing by a pharmacist. AIM: This study aimed to elucidate how this regulatory change impacted the dispensing behaviour of practicing community pharmacists in Switzerland in relation to opioid-containing antitussives.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional survey. The survey consisted of 24 questions and was distributed online via national and cantonal pharmacists’ associations’ mailing lists to community pharmacists in German, French and Italian. The survey was analysed descriptively. No outcomes for hypothesis testing were specified.