An international scoping review of opioid-related stigma interventions within the pharmacy profession

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Gibson, Darcy and Towle, Ian and Campbell, Derna and Dunlop, Emma and MacKenzie, Adrian and Radley, Andrew and Weir, Natalie (2026) An international scoping review of opioid-related stigma interventions within the pharmacy profession. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 22 (8). pp. 793-803. ISSN 1551-7411 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2026.04.002)

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Abstract

Opioid-related stigma within the pharmacy profession can prevent people with substance use disorders receiving necessary care.. Stigmatisation can negatively impact individuals’ interactions with healthcare professionals, reduce engagement with harm reduction services, and deter individuals from seeking treatment. The aim of this study is to identify the educational interventions aimed at addressing opioid-related stigma within pharmacy teams. A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The search was conducted in October 2024 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PSYCINFO. Data from included studies were extracted and categorised into tables for comparison, according to their intervention focus following an analysis of the intervention details. A narrative summary of the included studies, their main characteristics, findings, and reported barriers was conducted. Eleven studies were included, mostly from the USA, encompassing four main intervention types: educational training programmes; toolkit-based interventions; harm reduction training and screening; and brief intervention implementation. Most interventions demonstrated stigma reduction, particularly those incorporating direct patient interactions, stigma-free language training and harm reduction awareness. Barriers to implementation include time constraints, lack of resources and staff hesitancy. Interventions targeting opioid-related stigma show promising results in improving attitudes and reducing discriminatory behaviours in a pharmacy setting. Pharmacists, as accessible healthcare providers, are well-positioned to support harm reduction efforts and foster stigma-free environments. Future research should focus on standardised evaluation methods, research outside of the USA, and long-term stigma reduction strategies.

ORCID iDs

Gibson, Darcy, Towle, Ian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6469-3163, Campbell, Derna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1936-7721, Dunlop, Emma ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0719-7614, MacKenzie, Adrian, Radley, Andrew and Weir, Natalie ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1422-9415;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)