The NPA has pledged to boost commissioning of pharmacy alcohol services following two positive evaluations of regional scratch card schemes.

The pharmacy body welcomed the research which found that pharmacists in Devon and London had identified high-risk drinking habits in approximately 40 per cent of customers given an alcohol scratch card. The evaluations should enhance future commissioning prospects, the NPA said.

The scratch cards use questions to assess a person's drinking habits and whether their alcohol consumption could pose a risk to their health.

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	Pharmacy London's campaign, which won a C+D Award this year for best public health initiative, saw 240 pharmacies in the area give out more than 23,000 scratch cards. A University College London (UCL) evaluation revealed the scheme demonstrated "considerable opportunities" for pharmacists to help tackle hazardous drinking in the UK.

However, pharmacies would have to prove clinical outcomes, rather than simply raising awareness, to secure future commissioning, the researchers warned. The study did not formally report on interventions made after patients were offered the scratch cards.

"To justify the large scale rollout of such a service, substantive evidence of health outcome enhancement is arguably vital," said the UCL research team, led by pharmacist and research associate James Davies.

A smaller-scale project in Devon LPC that recorded follow-up interventions suggested some successes in this area. Fourteen healthy living pharmacies conducted more than 500 screenings, which identified 191 customers at risk from their drinking habits.

Fifty seven per cent of patients were given advice and a Change4life leaflet, 31 per cent were given a leaflet but declined formal advice, and 12 per cent were referred to a pharmacist for a full audit.

Devon LPC called on Plymouth City Council to consider introducing a pharmacy-based alcohol service in light of its findings.

The NPA said it would work with charity Alcohol Concern during alcohol awareness week in November to highlight the "the important role" pharmacy could play in promoting safe alcohol consumption. "The goal is to use the outcomes of these projects for the commissioning of intervention and brief advice services," said NPA chief executive Mike Holden.