International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on August 31 each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have died or had a permanent injury as a result of drug overdose. [...]
On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 17th opportunity in nine years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. (Sites cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills [...]
California Pharmacists Opioid Safety Training The Last Line of Defense in the Healthcare Team More than 2,000 people in California die every year from overdoses related to opioids. Pharmacists are literally the last line of defense in the healthcare team. Register below for this one-hour CME class for pharmacists on safe dispensing of opioid medications. [...]
Top-three recognition for 14th straight year shows importance of pursuing a pro-pharmacy, pro-patient policy agenda, NACDS says 12.21.2016 "The takeaway for policymakers is that the pharmacist-patient relationship has tremendous potential to do even more to improve patient health and well-being, along with the overall quality and affordability of healthcare." click here to read the story
Margaret Shield gave a background talk on pharmaceutical stewardship to a committee of the Oregon Legislature last week to help local agencies and advocates queue up their work on medicine take-back legislation. A recording and her slides are posted on her blog: http://cehstrategies.com/news/why-secure-medicine-disposal-whats-pharmaceutical-stewardship.html In response, PhRMA submitted a statement, “In Opposition to Drug Take-back Mandates”, online here: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015I1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/92676 [...]
The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy sent a letter to 2.3 million American health professionals this week, asking them to lead a national movement to turn the tide on the nation’s prescription opioid epidemic. The letter contains a pocket card outlining the CDC’s opioid prescribing guidelines. This is the first time that a U.S. Surgeon [...]
OPIOIDUSEDISORDERS-InterventionsforCommunityPharmacists Opioid Use Disorders: Interventions for Community Pharmacists Download the Guideline CPNP is pleased to provide this guideline document intended to educate community pharmacists on interventions they can employ to provide safe and appropriate access to opioids while also protecting the public from the hazards of misuse and abuse. This publication is supported by the [...]
The first shareholder proposal to date asking companies to take action on drug disposal was voted on last week at the annual meeting of Johnson & Johnson. The proposal received a good showing for a first vote on a new issue, supported by 7.2% of shares voted. Those shares have a market value of $14 [...]
https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2016/04/26/drug-abuse-take-back/
Counterfeit Opioid Poisonings Spread To Bay Area An outbreak of poisonings linked to a counterfeit prescription painkiller — previously seen in the Sacramento region — has reached the Bay Area, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The CDC reported Tuesday that seven patients were treated for overdoses in Bay Area hospitals in [...]
