CADCA

The Cardinal Health Foundation and their Generation Rx program are proud to partner with CADCA to support community coalitions in preventing the misuse of prescription medications.

Earlier this week, CADCA staffers attended a roundtable discussion on the opioid epidemic that has affected Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The discussion was convened by former Virginia governor and current Democratic Senator, Tim Kaine with support from the local coalition there, the Northern Shenandoah Substance Abuse Coalition in Winchester.

New research led by University at Buffalo psychiatric nursing researcher Yu-Ping Chang found motivational interviewing, a form of behavioral counseling, is an effective tool at curbing prescription opioid abuse. The study, "The Effect of Motivational Interviewing on Prescription Opioid Adherence among Older Adults with Chronic Pain," was published in a recent issue of “Perspectives in Psychiatric Care.”

To help find policy solutions to our nation's opioid abuse epidemic, CADCA, former Member of Congress Mary Bono and the Trust for America's Health, launched a Collaborative for Effective Prescription Opioid Policies (CEPOP), about a year ago. Today, CADCA was invited by CEPOP to be part of a briefing on Capitol Hill about the various ways that the Rx opioid abuse epidemic is being addressed around the nation.

Coalitions, please share this opportunity with your networks. You, or someone you know, might be one of the Five Moms.

CADCA’s partner, StopMedicineAbuse.org, is looking for a new “mom” to join its Five Moms team.

The Five Moms work in their communities to spread the word about over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine abuse and to encourage parents to talk to their teens, to monitor their medicines, and to tell other parents and community leaders about this problem.

Learn more about this initiative here.

This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan nasal spray, the first FDA-approved nasal spray version of naloxone hydrochloride, a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, as well as the illegal drug heroin.

A coalition in Pennsylvania has worked to raise awareness about medicine abuse in their community, especially with over-the-counter products containing dextromethorphan (DXM). When used as directed, DXM is a safe and effective cough suppressant. But the coalition knew that some youth were purchasing and consuming large amounts of cough medicine to get high. Cough syrup abuse is believed to have contributed to a local student stabbing his grandmother.

The Department of Health and Human Services has launched a website focused on increasing education about opioid misuse and providing resources for communities. HHS.gov/Opioids is a one-stop Federal resource offering tools and information for patients, families, and friends; health professionals; law enforcement; and other stakeholders about prescription drug abuse and heroin use prevention, treatment & recovery, and overdose response.

CADCA hopes we had just what the doctor ordered for resources to help your coalition raise awareness and reduce medicine abuse during National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. The annual October observance ends Saturday.