Press Release from The UC School of Pharmacy
Charleston, WV…The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy’s (UCSOP) proposal, West Virginia Partnership for Generation Rx Expansion & Statewide Media Campaign, has been selected as a 2018 Cardinal Health Foundation’s Generation Rx Prescription Drug Misuse Prevention Education for Youth Program grantee and approved for funding in the amount of $35,500.00.
The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy was one of more than 40 organizations across Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia to receive a prevention education grant from the Cardinal Health Foundation. As part of Cardinal Health’s Opioid Action Program, the Prescription Drug Misuse Prevention Education for Youth grants are designed to expand medication safety education for thousands of students in K-12 schools and universities, using Generation Rx educational materials. Over the next year, each of the recipient organizations will engage students and parents in these interactive prevention education sessions, and meet regularly with each other in a learning collaborative to share their progress, lessons learned and best practices.
Generation Rx is an evidence-based program developed in collaboration with the Cardinal Health Foundation, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and The Ohio State University School of Pharmacy. The Generation Rx curriculum is designed to increase public awareness of prescription medication abuse and medication safety. The program also encourages healthcare providers, community leaders, parents, teens, and college students to actively work to prevent abuse.
Since 2016, UCSOP has worked with Kanawha Communities that Care (KCTC) and Kanawha County Schools (KCS) to train more than 200 UCSOP student pharmacists to deliver the Generation Rx curriculum to more than 650 elementary-aged students on the issue of prescription medication use and abuse.
With this grant, UCSOP will continue to work with KCTC and KCS to expand upon and strengthen its current Generation Rx outreach initiatives. This will include expanding outreach to more classrooms throughout Kanawha County, development of a state-wide media campaign to educate the children and the public on safe medication use, and materials to emphasize the dangers of misusing prescription drugs. Funds will also allow for expansion of middle-school SADD (students against destructive decisions) chapters and the identification of additional partners to strengthen the programming and its’ evaluation. UCSOP is one of only 70 organizations in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee who have received grant monies through the Cardinal Health Foundation’s Generation Rx Prescription Drug Misuse Prevention Education for Youth Program.
“The opioid overdose death rate in West Virginia is more than double the national average and has increased 605% between 1999 and 2010. In addition, nationwide more than 5,700 people ages 12 and older misuse prescription pain medication for the first time every day,” said Dr. Susan Gardner Bissett, UCSOP assistant dean for professional and student affairs, who is serving as the primary grant administrator. “We also know that the average age for first (mis)use of prescription or illicit drugs among program participants is 9-to-12 years of age.”
“In an attempt to reverse the rapid increase of drug abuse in our region, the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy (UCSOP) partnered with Kanawha County Schools (KCS) and Kanawha Communities that Care (KCTC) to implement a prescription abuse prevention initiative using Generation Rx. First and second year pharmacy students are trained by peer-leaders and faculty to deliver Generation Rx Programming to elementary students throughout Kanawha County (West Virginia),” said UCSOP Dean, Dr. Michelle Easton. “This grant will allow for the expansion of our Generation Rx outreach.”
The Cardinal Foundation has engaged experts with The Ohio State University to provide additional support to program grantees including the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute (CAYCI), the College of Social Work and Youth to Youth International to provide additional support and subject matter expertise when engaging West Virginia youth in this program.
About the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy
The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy (UCSOP) – a state-of the art, technology-infused facility – welcomed its first cohort of students in the fall of 2005. The four-year doctor of pharmacy program and masters in pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences programs (beginning in the fall of 2018) offer its student pharmacists dynamic and rigorous curriculums that prepare graduates to practice in today’s rapidly changing health care environment. UCSOP prides itself on taking part in initiatives that foster compassionate patient care, advocacy, community engagement, innovation, and research that advances the health and public.
In an attempt to reverse the rapid increase of drug abuse in our region, UCSOP has established partnerships with a number of community agencies, governmental offices, and private organizations. Our faculty, comprised of pharmacy, public health, and education experts, work with our student pharmacists to engage in prevention and education initiatives; participate in harm reduction programs that include syringe services, point of care testing, and access to care; help reduce the stigma of addiction; promote recovery resources; and connect the community with healthcare professionals.
For more information pertaining to UCSOP events, community outreach, and academic offerings, please visit our website at www.ucwv.edu/Pharmacy and follow us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UCSOP/ Twitter: @UCSOP #UCSOP https://twitter.com/UCSOP
About Cardinal Health’s Opioid Action Program
The Opioid Action Program is a multi-prong initiative to help communities in four of the nation’s hardest-hit states fight the opioid epidemic. Each element of the program is cited by leading experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) and the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, as critical to reducing opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction. The Opioid Action Program builds on Generation Rx, created through a partnership with the Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy to raise awareness and knowledge about the dangers of prescription drug misuse.
About the Cardinal Health Foundation
The Cardinal Health Foundation supports local, national and international programs that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and excellence and the overall wellness of the communities where Cardinal Health, Inc.’s (NYSE:CAH) approximately 50,000 employees live and work. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to encourage community service among its employees and works through international agencies to donate much-needed medical supplies and funding to those who need them in times of disaster; because Cardinal Health, Inc. is #AllInForGood. To learn more, visit www.CardinalHealth.com/community.
About Generation Rx
Generation Rx works to end prescription drug misuse through prevention education, drug take back, best practices in pain management and community collaborations. The program was created through a partnership with the Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. Since 2009, more than one million people across the country have been reached with Generation Rx messages, and pharmacists in 40 states have been honored with the Generation Rx Champions Award. To learn more, visit www.GenerationRx.org.
About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health, Inc. is a global, integrated healthcare services and products company, providing customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices worldwide. The company provides clinically proven medical products, pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home. Cardinal Health connects patients, providers, payers, pharmacists and manufacturers for integrated care coordination and better patient management. To help combat prescription drug abuse, the company and its education partners created Generation Rx, a national drug education and awareness program. Backed by nearly 100 years of experience, with approximately 50,000 employees in nearly 60 countries, Cardinal Health ranks #14 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on Twitter, @cardinalhealthwings on Facebook and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/ company/cardinal-health.
