In this podcast, Carlene McMaugh speaks to regular AJP contributor Angelo Pricolo about his varied career , including his pioneering and leading role in addiction medicine, as well as his time with the Pharmacy Guild and his current work in youth mental health.

Among the topics covered are: (1 min:30) Angelo’s views on the increasing inequality in access to, and quality of, addiction medicine services. 

(3:40) Understanding addiction, and how to treat it. Understanding that it is a ‘chronic relapsing disease’, it is not a moral failure, it is a medical condition.

(7:30) The role of naloxone and other opioid treatments 

(9:50) Why the ‘War on Drugs’ is a failure and a concept we need to move away from if we are to understand and better treat addiction

(11:00) What the Purdue Pharma case reveals about the US system, and why it caused so much harm in treating addiction 

(14:30) The importance of naloxone supply through community pharmacy

(16:30) Angelo’s work with a GP clinic administering long-acting injectable buprenorphine 

(20:50) His thoughts on the methadone program and where it should go next

(25:30) Angelo’s work with the Pharmacy Guild, and his views on the push for pharmacist prescribing

(28:50) His current role working in youth mental health support

To see more on the topics of harm minimisation and addiction medicine from Angelo Pricolo, go here and here

Go here for the full list of active AJP podcasts. These can also be accessed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify