SOUTHERN PINES, North Carolina – Newly released provisional data from the CDC this week shows that drug overdose deaths in the United States are declining, giving hope that there is some improvement in what still remains a nationwide epidemic.
The decline- roughly 14% over the previous 12 month period – can likely be attributed to a number of factors such as addiction prevention education, drug disposal solutions, like DisposeRx, and the now widely available overdose-reversing drug, naloxone.
Research proves education works
In 2021, Mitch Barnett, lead author in “Barriers and motivational factors for engaging in novel opioid and medication disposal-related services in community pharmacies”, explored the pharmacy pilot program in the state of Iowa, where pharmacists were incentivized to provide drug disposal education and tools with every opioid prescription.
To prevent overdoses, ultimately with disposal kits, just get medications out of people’s hands… so it doesn’t get into somebody else’s hands…” said a pharmacist participating in the study. “We go the extra mile for our patients so this program fits well."
DisposeRx continues to support pharmacists
“It’s not enough just to try and reduce the number of opioids prescribed and provide naloxone as an emergency option. People need education to understand how often their unused medications could end up in the wrong hands and how they can prevent that,” said DisposeRx President and CEO, William Simpson. “The real work is in reducing the number of pills available to cause future addictions.”
The value of the pharmacist as a trusted member of the healthcare ecosystem and their easy and convenient access to patients on a regular basis make them the ideal educator to change patient behavior and create a sustainable decline in overdose deaths.
