Washington and Stamford, U.S.A. — The National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN), in partnership with Purdue Pharma L. P., announced the 28th of June the release of newly developed educational resources on prescription drug abuse and misuse.

The resources, called Rx for Understanding, include 10 cross-curricular lessons for middle school students. Aligned with the National Health Education Standards and Common Core State Standards, the lessons aim to equip students with the understanding and decision-making skills they need to recognize and avoid the dangers of misusing and abusing prescription drugs.

“We know that 20 percent of high school students have reported that they have taken a prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription,” said Jerry Newberry, NEA HIN Executive Director. “This behavior endangers student health and can interfere with academic success. NEA HIN welcomes our partnership with Purdue Pharma to help teachers inform students about the risks in misusing prescription medication.”

Resources will be available free of charge, in print and online, to educators upon its launch on June 30 during the NEA Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C.

“Purdue and NEA HIN look forward to providing teachers with educational resources to guide them in addressing the critical health issue of the abuse and misuse of prescription medication,” said Pamela Bennett, RN, BSN, Executive Director of Healthcare Alliance Development at Purdue. “This effort is part of a larger initiative to establish partnerships with communities of educators, healthcare professionals, and law enforcement to help fight the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs.”

The National Education Association Health Information Network is the non-profit health and safety arm of the NEA, that provides health and safety information to the over 3 million educational employees served by NEA and their 43 million students. NEA HIN distributes information nationally through NEA’s 51 state/territory affiliates as well as through its almost 15,000 local education associations.

Purdue Pharma L.P. is a privately held pharmaceutical company, founded by physicians, that is engaged in the research, development, production, and distribution of prescription and over-the-counter medicines and healthcare products. The company is known for its pioneering research on pain, a principal cause of human suffering.

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The Florida Society of Pain Management Providers (www.Flspmp.org) feels it is vital to set the factual record straight in light of the mass deception used to foment a hysteria driven war on pain medications that now is threatening the health and welfare of Florida’s chronic pain patients. Politicians, law enforcement and many in the media continually reinforce this hysteria with purported “facts” drawn from misleading or false statistics.

The drug addicted newborn?

The latest hysteria driven absurdity is the reference to the drug “addicted” newborn. Although a headline grabbing assertion, the simple fact is that no newborn has ever been born “addicted” to pain medications or any other drug.  The use of the term “addicted” is solely used by law enforcement and politicians to inflame the witch hunt.

While the use of alcohol, illicit drugs or the non-medically use of Rx medications by an expectant mother is certainly dangerous to the health and safety of a newborn, the notion that a child is born addicted to drugs is false.

Based upon the false assertion, Manatee County, FL. has proposed a pain clinic ordinance that would require all women to be pregnancy tested before being prescribed pain medications.  However, bars and liquor stores can sell alcohol to any woman pregnant or not without restriction.  A woman in Manatee County will now be forced to pay an additional $300 a year for pain care solely because of her gender.

The absurdity is compounded by the fact that Manatee’s ordinance exempts the largest prescribers of pain medications. A truly absurd and embarrassing special interest government response. The misguided belief that a physician’s training in one field over another makes them more ethical is simply nonsensical especially with the history of physician’s arrests and prosecutions.

If Manatee County were honestly concerned with this issue, no prescriber would be exempt.  Sarasota County, FL., which borders Manatee, saw through the special interests and passed a strict, groundbreaking ordinance (without penalizing women) that exempted no prescribers who practices in a pain management facility from the scope of the ordinance.

The estimated 900 Florida infants born last year to mothers who were taking pain medications throughout their pregnancy either under medical supervision or not pales in comparison to the estimated 2000 Floridainfants born (each and every year) with birth defects attributable to prenatal alcohol use.  The continuing care for those with prenatal alcohol use related birth defects cost Floridians millions of dollars annually in their long term care.

Women suffering from intractable chronic pain deserve respect; having government force them to undergo pregnancy tests as a condition of treatment is unconscionable and unconstitutional. Supervised use of prescription pain medications during pregnancy is supported by multiple published medical studies.

Denying or restricting pain care does not solve the problem and can only lead to illicit, unsupervised use of un-prescribed and unsupervised self medication.  The issue of drug dependent newborns has been studied since the 1970′s heroin epidemic and to date no study has shown any significant long term medical conditions with proper care and treatment.

The real but hidden epidemic in Florida is alcohol!

In March of 2011 the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) declared that the illegal abuse of prescription drugs is Florida’s “greatest public health threat.” How could that be?

Abuse of prescription drugs greater than abuse of alcohol?

ALCOHOL FACTS: Florida’s Epidemic Revealed

Annually in Florida:
17 deaths a day.
$2,407,004 spent every hour related to alcohol use.
$21,085,357,042 total economic cost in Fl. (42% Injuries / 35% Traffic / 16% Crime / 7% Illness)

Alcohol Attributable Deaths:
Injury*  1904  (533 from falling)
Traffic Collisions  1051
Violent Crimes  564
*The 1,904 deaths due to alcohol attributable injuries have a related cost of $8,905,099,640

Alcohol Attributable Health Conditions:
5 hospitalizations every hour.
68,818 hospitalizations generating $1,443,067,075 in hospital charges.
$167,000 lost every hour to alcohol attributable health conditions ($1,046,009,352)
28% of all fatal injuries are related to alcohol.
5 Floridians killed every day consequent to alcohol related injuries.

FL DOH states that approximately 2,000 Florida infants are born each and every year with measurable effects (retardation, birth defects, etc.) that can be attributed to prenatal alcohol exposure.

Alcohol Attributable Adverse Traffic Events:
Over $800,000 spent every hour.
9 injuries every hour.
Almost 3 fatalities every day.
Estimated total economic cost  $7,275,015,532

Alcohol Attributable Crime:
7 Crime incidents every hour
7 Incarcerations every day
47 deaths every month
Almost $400,000 every hour in incarceration & victim costs.
Estimated total crime cost $3,437,232,519

The above facts clearly indicate that the prescription abuse “health declaration” by law enforcement is another example of the non factual hysteria-driven war on physicians, pain medications and now pain patients.

Alcohol Data Source (unless otherwise noted):   The Price Florida Pays for Drug and Alcohol Abuse; R. Bohs; Phd,  E. Piekalkiewicz,  M. Fontaine.

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A national coalition dedicated to fighting abuse and misuse of prescription pain medication is inviting area residents to safely dispose of unwanted and expired medicines at any of six local pharmacies on February 18, 2012.  Sponsored by the Collaborating and Acting Responsibly to Ensure Safety (C.A.R.E.S.) Alliance (SM), the event comes as pain medicine providers prepare to convene here February 23-26 for the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s annual meeting.

Statistics from the California Department of Health show that the number of emergency room visits in Riverside County related to prescription painkillers jumped by more than 50 percent from 2006 to 2009, illustrating one way the national crisis of abuse and misuse of prescription medication has manifested itself locally.

“Hundreds of people in our community have been affected by prescription drug abuse and misuse, and this event allows local residents to be part of the solution,” said Sergeant Mike Kovaleff, Palm Springs Police Department. “Disposing of unused or unwanted medications in a safe and secure environment is a critical step in fighting this devastating public health problem.”

The event is supported by the Palm Springs Police Department and is sponsored by the C.A.R.E.S. Alliance. The C.A.R.E.S. Alliance is a national coalition of 10 patient safety, provider and drug diversion organizations focused on reducing prescription medication abuse, misuse and diversion and on encouraging responsible prescribing habits.

C.A.R.E.S. Alliance members supporting the take-back day include the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI), Project Lazarus and Covidien, a pharmaceutical manufacturer. The event is also being held in cooperation with the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

“Combating abuse and misuse of prescription drugs is everyone’s responsibility, as a matter of public safety,” said C.A.R.E.S. Alliance representative Sherice Mills, Manager, Medical Affairs, Pharmaceuticals for Covidien, which created the coalition. “A successful long-term solution can be found, but it requires collaboration to provide education for consumers and better resources for prescribers and pharmacists.”

On the C.A.R.E.S. Alliance’s website (www.caresalliance.org), physicians and pharmacists can find tools for prescribing, screening and assessing patients. Patients and their families can also find tips for the safe use and handling of their medications.

According to Charlie Cichon, Executive Director of NADDI, involvement from many different organizations and individuals is needed to address this complex issue. “We believe that collaboration through this and other initiatives will further the nation’s progress against the illegal diversion of legitimate prescription medicines, which many people do use appropriately,” he said.

Pharmacies throughout the area are participating in the Drug Take-back Day and will be accepting both unused and expired pills. No sharps, liquids or gels will be accepted. A full list of drop-off locations is available at www.caresalliance.org.

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