Community pharmacy-based opiate substitution treatment and related health services: a study of 508 patients and 111 pharmacies

Background and aims Community pharmacies have a central role in the provision of opiate substitution therapy (OST) for drug misusers, offering accessible, additional health services within recovery-oriented systems of care. However, little is known about the patients receiving OST, availability and uptake of related services and associated pharmacy characteristics. We aimed to describe OST in terms of patients, pharmacies and services within the UK’s largest health authority, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland.