Pharmacists Play Huge Role in Battling Rx Abuse

(Winter 2015) U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch recently underscored the importance of doctors and pharmacists working with law enforcement to combat drug abuse. She identified prescription drug monitoring as one of the best approaches to control prescription drugs. Only one state (Missouri) does not have such a program in place at this time.

To further address the issue, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) recently sent a letter to Congress backing a federal bill that would provide states with the means to better deal with the explosion of prescription painkiller abuse and heroin addiction within communities around the country. The letter was endorsed by 38 attorneys general.

Joining the efforts, multiple pharmacists and pharmacy associations and outlets have signed on to the defense campaign announced by President Obama (refer to “Comprehensive Plan to Combat Rx Drug Abuse Announced“):

• The National Community Pharmacists’ Association will provide information about naloxone, a life-saving drug to reverse opioid overdoses, and safe drug disposal to over 62,000 pharmacists.
• The American Pharmacists’ Association will give additional training to its 250,000 members on opioid use, misuse and abuse.
• Additional education will be provided by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists to its 40,000 members.
• The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy will widen access to prescription drug monitoring program information among pharmacists in Delaware, Arizona, North Dakota and Kentucky.
• The National Association of Chain Drug Stores will continue to train its 125 member companies and their 175,000 pharmacists on naloxone and opioid overdoses.
• CVS will permit its pharmacies in more than 34 states to dispense naloxone without requiring a prescription, and its pharmacists will perform community outreach by speaking at 2,500 high school assemblies about drug abuse.
• Rite Aid will expand its naloxone dispensation and train 6,000 pharmacists on its use in 2016.

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