'Long-term solution' needed for opioid treatment

The availability of Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) in Guernsey is a "significant concern" because of a shortage of pharmacists, according to a report.

OST supports people who have become dependent on drugs like heroin through the administration of prescribed medicines to reduce the risks of illicit drug use and help them stop using opioids completely.

Public Health's Combined Substance Use Strategy 2025 Annual Report said that limited local capacity to deliver the service on-island was caused by "a global shortage of pharmacists".

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said: "We need a long-term sustainable solution that really looks at more resilience in the community pharmacies."

Brink added: "We need to make sure that those who need to access the medication can do, so it's not diverted and that they don't go to a black market.

"The Community Drug and Alcohol Team have been amazing over the last eight years and they've reduced the rate (of opioid addiction) by half.

"But it is still an issue."

Jeff Evans, team leader of Guernsey Community Drug and Alcohol Team, said the weekends are when they "really struggle".

"Where we are really lacking is at the weekends. We've only got two pharmacies that prescribe seven days a week," he said.

"So on the weekends people can take their medications home with them, and that can cause all sorts of problems and risks."

Andrea Nightingale, substance use lead for the Health Improvement Commission, said: "We want seven-day supervised consumption in the community, but the lack of not only pharmacists but actually pharmacies opening up to give a seven-day cover is very difficult.

"We have been working on it, and we'll continue doing that within the next strategy."

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