This study, using a postal questionnaire, investigated the involvement of 534 community pharmacists with patients suffering from schizophrenia. The majority of the 236 respondents regularly dispensed medication for patients with schizophrenia and almost three-quarters had been asked for advice about medication from such patients or their carers. However, the majority of respondents believed that the advice they could give to these patients was limited by their knowledge of schizophrenia (86 per cent) and of therapeutics (70 per cent).Other perceived constraints to giving advice included lack of contact with other health professionals, poor communication skills and lack of experience in dealing with the mentally ill. Respondents were significantly less confident about advising patients with schizophrenia than advising other patient groups. The results suggest that there is a need to encourage community pharmacists' participation in continuing education and to improve liaison with other community health professionals such as community psychiatric nurses.

A postal survey of 888 community pharmacists in one metropolitan administrative region of southern England investigated the pharmacists' involvement in the supply of injecting equipment to injecting drug misusers (IDMs). The survey response rate was 59 per cent. Of respondents, 58 per cent sold injecting equipment and almost 10 per cent supplied it via “exchange” schemes. The respondents' attitudes and beliefs towards provision of injecting equipment were measured on a five point scale. Providers of injecting equipment were significantly more likely than non‐providers to have a positive attitude towards supply, to perceive greater demand for injecting equipment, and to believe that “important others,” such as the pharmacy clientele and other health professionals, would like them to make equipment available. Certain demographic variables and specific beliefs were identified which differentiated between providers and non‐providers of injecting equipment. Pharmacists who did not supply injecting equipment were significantly more likely than providers to believe in negative outcomes of supply, such as theft from the pharmacy. The strong associations identified in this study, between service provision, attitudes and beliefs, have implications for shaping attitudes and encouraging pharmacists' future involvement in HIV‐prevention initiatives.

The use of patient group directions resulted in a reduced number of prescriptions being required from doctors, thus saving time for them, the nurses and patients.

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