Before you begin, have you completed the first three modules in this series about alcohol misuse?
Part one: Facts about alcohol
Part two: Alcohol as a drug
Part three: Alcohol identification and brief advice.

CPD activity

Before you start reading this article, think about:

• What do I want to learn?
• What will I gain from this learning?
• What will my employer gain?

• What difference will it make to people who use my services?

Community pharmacy has long been identified as the ideal place to provide enhanced services. The Department of Health’s Pharmacy in England: building on strengths, delivering the future report suggested several reasons for this, including the convenience of the local pharmacy to the majority of communities, and the availability of accessing a pharmacy service at evenings and weekends, usually without an appointment. 

The document also addressed the potential for community pharmacies to be involved in alcohol harm reduction by: 

• Promoting a healthy lifestyle 
• Providing alcohol identification and brief advice (IBA)
• Prescribing or patient group direction supply of medicines to help reduce alcohol intake 
• Supervising and monitoring the use of medicines to treat alcohol withdrawal. 

What’s more, a study published in Drug and Alcohol Review concluded that regardless of drinking status, most users are willing to use such a service and are positive about pharmacists’ involvement.