Community pharmacies urged to plan ahead for Easter bank holidays with methadone safety resources

The Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group (CPPSG) has published resources to help community pharmacy teams manage patient safety risks when supplying methadone and other opioid treatment medicines over the Easter bank holidays.

The resources, published on the CPPSG’s online hub, include a ‘Focus on methadone’ video and an accompanying bank holiday checklist, which supports teams before, during and after bank holidays, when opening hours may differ across pharmacies and other commissioned services may close.

The CPPSG brings together pharmacy organisations and representative bodies to share learning on patient safety incidents.

In a statement published on 18 March 2026, Martin Sadr-Kazemi, chair of the CPPSG and deputy superintendent pharmacist at Rowlands Pharmacy, said that community pharmacy teams are “well positioned to provide good care and advice” to people accessing opioid treatment.

“As we near the Easter period with multiple public holidays and likely different pharmacy opening times to usual, it is important that pharmacy team members plan ahead,” he added.

Via, a charity that helps people manage their health and wellbeing independently, has also highlighted the anxiety that bank holidays can create for patients receiving opioid treatment.

Emma Griss, director of pharmacy at Via, told The Pharmaceutical Journal that disruption to prescribed medication “can lead to significant risks, including the potential use of illicit substances to manage withdrawal”.

She also drew attention to the importance of Home Office wording on prescriptions, noting that its inclusion “enables pharmacists to use their professional discretion in making an appropriate supply where there are pharmacy closure days, which can also help prevent disruption to prescribed treatment”.

The resources come against a backdrop of significant opioid dependence across the UK.

According to statistics outlined in an Office for Health Improvement and Disparities report, published in 2023, almost half (48%, n=138,604) of adults in contact with drug and alcohol services in England in 2022/2023 were in treatment for opioid use.

Office for National Statistics data, published in 2023, also show that opioids were implicated in 2,261 drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales in 2022 alone.

Addiction support organisations welcomed the resources, adding that they could help reduce risks for patients at times when access to services may be limited.

Abigail Wilson, director of pharmacy at WithYou, a drug, alcohol and mental health support charity, commented: “This checklist will provide a clear framework to support community pharmacy professionals, helping to identify issues in a timely manner and reducing unnecessary risk from missed doses in people who are often more vulnerable over holiday periods.”

Katherine Watkinson, head of medicines optimisation and pharmacy service at Turning Point, a social enterprise that designs and delivers health and social care services across England, also welcomed the resources: “At Turning Point, we recognise the vital contribution that community pharmacies make to the safe and effective delivery of opioid treatment.

“The risks highlighted in the ‘Focus on methadone’ video unfortunately reflect challenges we encounter in practice, and the accompanying practical guidance has real potential to reduce harm and improve client safety.

“These risks can be amplified during bank holiday periods, when commissioned services may be closed and pharmacy opening hours reduced. In this context, the proactive measures outlined in the checklist are especially important.”

Griss noted that the resources reinforce the importance of early communication and coordinated planning between local drug and alcohol services and pharmacies” and highlighted their value in encouraging proactive communication with patients.

“They also [provide] reassurance about treatment arrangements and helping to alleviate any concerns they may have during bank holiday periods,” she added.

Roz Gittins, chief pharmacy officer and deputy registrar at the General Pharmaceutical Council, acknowledged that providing medicines for opioid dependence over bank holidays can bring “additional challenges” for community pharmacy teams and welcomed the CPPSG’s efforts to help teams prepare ahead of Easter.