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Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. Think About It. When the general public hears or thinks of “ drug problems ,”. they tend to think of. Marijuana,. Cocaine , . Heroin , . Crystal Meth , . Etc. They think of. Guns,. drug cartels in Mexico or Columbia, . poppy fields , . and killings.
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Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Think About It
they tend to think of Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin, Crystal Meth, Etc.
They think of Guns, drug cartelsin Mexico or Columbia, poppy fields, and killings
But the real drug epidemic today starts with a prescription pad… and the entire supply line is within our home towns
As a public health issue, the misuse of prescription drugs surpass the problems from illegal drugs CONSIDER THESE STATISTICS
“…1in 5 high school students in the United Stateshas taken a prescription drug, such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax, without a doctor’s prescription.” -CDC Press Release, June 3, 2010
-CDC, Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States, July 2010
-CDC, Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States, July 2010
Emergency Department visits involving nonmedical use of prescription narcotic pain relievers rose 111% from 2004-2008. -CDC Press Release, June 17, 2010
-CDC, Unintentional Drug Poisoning in the United States, July 2010
How did this come about? • A number of new drugs were brought to market in the 1990s to treat pain and depression • As a society, we medicate more conditions today than ever before • The potency of some of these drugs provide a pathway to lifetime addiction
Once the chemistry in the brain changes and the body becomes addicted, it never goes back to normal / addicts never recover, they can only hope to control what they ingest
The result is shattered lives, broken homes, and suffering by all those around the addict
The supply line for prescription drugs How do they get on the street and into the wrong hands?
All start with a doctor and a prescription pad, some from: • An ethical doctor writing a Rx for a real medical cause (well intended) • A doctor with a regular practice over prescribing to satisfy a patient demands (grey area) • A “pill mill” doctor writing Rx for pay without a real medical reason (illegal)
Unused drugs are stolenfrom unsecuremedicine storage in homes and used or sold
Addicts shop for different doctors that are lenient or careless in prescribing
Some chronically ill patients routinely sell part of their reoccurring prescriptions • Addicts drive hundreds of miles to find pill mills
What can we do reduce the scope of this problem? • We don’t have to go to Mexico and fight drug cartels • We only have to look within our own State and communities for the solutions • PDMPis critical to control
Think About It • Statewide Capital Campaign • Three Comprehensive Initiatives • Multiple Potential Collaborative Partners
The Medical Association of Georgia Foundation has initiated program to combat this problem: The MAG Foundation was established in 1967 as a mechanism for physicians to support philanthropic projects that advance scientific medicine and public health in Georgia. The Foundation promotes a healthier patient population in the state, and each contribution enhances the integrity of the medical profession and the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship. For additional information, go to www.mag.org/foundation.
The Mission: • As a result of an alarming, explosive increase in prescription drug abuse across widely diverse populations, we need statewide comprehensive drug policies and programs with practical solutions resulting in measurable outcomes of behavioral changes. Creation and implementation of an educational awareness program will require a collaborative, coordinated effort sustained by multiple collaborative partners. These partners include, but are not limited to, judicial, law enforcement, education, public health, physicians, pharmacists and other allied health professionals as well as the business community.
Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) Foundation “Think about it”
Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) Foundation “Think about it”
Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) Foundation “Think about it”
Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) Foundation “Think about it”
Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) Foundation “Think about it”
Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) Foundation “Think about it”
Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) Foundation “Think about it”
Think About It Physicians Prescribe Prudently
Think About It Pharmacists Dispense Attentively
Think About It Public Use, Store & Dispose Judiciously
Think About It Kris McCall 678.303.9284 kmccall@mag.org Medical Association of Georgia Foundation, Inc.1849 The ExchangeSuite 200Atlanta, Georgia 30339