This month's CE program is focused on the recognition and prevention of prescription drug misuse and abuse. The scope of the problem is alarming. Research released by the CDC in 2007 shows that unintentional poisoning deaths involving narcotics and hallucinogens grew by 55% between 1999 and 2004. During the same period, unintentional deaths from psychotherapeutics increased by 84%. And TEDS data from 1995 to 2005 showed that treatment admissions for abuse of prescription pain relievers grew more than 300 percent. The problem affects many demographics. The most likely abusers are among the young, the elderly, women, pain patients, users with comorbid psychiatric conditions, and substance abusers. In 2001 the National Community Pharmacists Association estimated the impact of prescription drug misuse and abuse to the U.S. healthcare system at $100 billion.
The program is presented by Dr. Alan Agins, Ph.D, Adjunct Associate Professor, Brown Medical School. Dr. Agins has carefully organized and presented the latest findings to update pharmacists regarding recognition of drug misuse and abuse, the types of prescription drugs most commonly abused and the neurochemical reason for abuse, and how pharmacists can help increase awareness of and reduce the potential for prescription drug misuse / abuse.
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define the terms - prescription drug misuse, abuse and addiction
- List the three classes of prescription drugs and one OTC medication that are most widely misused and abused
- Understand the neurobiological and neurochemical factors that lead to drug abuse and addiction
- Recognize the potential for accidental overdoses or deadly interactions between prescription drugs of abuse and other medications and
- Discuss a number of ways the pharmacist can help increase awareness of and reduce the potential for prescription drug misuse / abuse
To learn more about this and other excellent online CE programs for pharmacists and allied health professionals, please log onto RxSchool.com.
RxSchool is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
This home study web activity has been assigned a maximum of 1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEU's) and the ACPE UPN: 372-000-08-018-L01-P
This program is sponsored by RxSchool.
