A Multi-Site Qualitative Study Examining Student Perspectives of the Opioid Crisis

Objective. Conduct focus groups to learn the perspectives of pharmacy students regarding opioid use, the opioid crisis, and pharmacy education on both topics. Methods. Students from each professional year at eight participating schools or colleges were asked to volunteer for focus groups with peers to answer questions about their experiences with the opioid crisis. Faculty and/or staff moderated the focus groups and audio recorded responses. Recordings were deidentified, transcribed and analyzed. IRB exemption from each school was obtained. Results. 150 students participated in 29 focus groups. Responses were categorized according to themes using consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology. Sources impacting student views on the crisis include school, personal and work experience, and media. Perspective changes since starting school included increases in knowledge and awareness, and a decrease in bias/stigma. Schools can better prepare students with training on opioid counseling, naloxone, and having difficult conversations with patients. Conclusion. The results provide information beneficial to pharmacy schools as they continue to work to equip students to combat the crisis. This information includes what student pharmacists are learning about the crisis, practices they see, and their recommendations to address the crisis.