Brief interventions delivered by community pharmacists do not seem to reduce hazardous or harmful drinking, Addiction reports.

Sixteen community pharmacies in Hammersmith and Fulham randomised 407 customers with hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption (based on AUDIT scores of between eight and 19) to either motivational discussions lasting about 10 minutes or a control group, where they received a basic leaflet about alcohol. The pharmacists received half a day’s training in brief interventions.

At three months, the AUDIT score for 80 per cent of those randomised did not differ significantly between the brief intervention and control groups, and did not change significantly between baseline and follow-up in either group. Indeed, the control group showed better scores on the dependence and health status AUDIT sub-scales than the brief intervention group. The consumption and non-dependence problems sub-scale scores did not differ significantly between groups.

The authors remark that “it is highly likely that the pharmacists were undertrained”. While 77 per cent of the brief intervention group correctly reported discussing drinking with pharmacists, 61 per cent of controls incorrectly recalled discussions.

The pharmacists told all the patients that, based on the AUDIT score, they were hazardous or harmful drinkers. This raises “the possibility of behaviour change in response to feedback and/or having attention drawn to alcohol consumption through study participation”. (doi:10.1002/ add.12994).