Arizona, like every state in the country, is battling an epidemic of people misusing and abusing prescription drugs. We’ve been working with several partners on the Arizona Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse Initiative since 2012 to reduce the problem in Arizona.
The Initiative team recently developed a comprehensive toolkit designed to assist communities to tackle prescription drug abuse at the local level. The Community Toolkit provides easy to use materials and guidance on implementing five major strategies of the Arizona Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse Initiative with the theme of “Awareness. Action. Outcomes!”
We will host a free training session on the Community Toolkit next month in Phoenix. To attend, please register by June 11. Communities and interested groups can access the toolkits online or request a hard copy by contacting Danielle Dandreaux at 602-364-3321.
Last November we released the Arizona Opioid Prescribing Guidelines, developed with the help of health care partners across the state interested in promoting responsible, appropriate prescribing practices to reduce the misuse of opioid pain relievers. To help clinicians incorporate these guidelines into practice, the University of Arizona is providing a free online training program: Safe and Effective Opioid Prescribing While Managing Acute and Chronic Pain. The program offers two free CME credits to prescribers.
The training is supported by a grant through the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families and was developed in partnership with the Arizona Prescription Drug Misuse & Abuse Initiative, Arizona Department of Health Services, University of Arizona College of Public Health and University of Arizona College of Medicine.
We encourage any clinician who prescribes opioids to take advantage of this opportunity to become more familiar with Arizona’s current guidelines for opioid prescribing, as well as learn more about non-opioid strategies for pain management.
Cara M. Christ, M.D., M.S. became Director for the Arizona Department of Health Services in May 2015. Dr. Christ has served the agency for more than nine years. Among her many accomplishments at ADHS, Dr. Christ collaborated with health partners and stakeholders to develop strategic plans for infectious disease prevention and control including the Governor’s Council on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. She was involved in leading statewide efforts during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, and worked with partners to find solutions to improve childhood vaccination programs. In 2012, Dr. Christ managed the development and implementation of 20 Articles of Arizona Administrative Code for Health Care Institutions allowing integration of physical and behavioral health services statewide. Dr. Christ obtained her master's degree in microbiology with an emphasis in molecular virology and public health. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Follow the Director on Twitter @DrCaraChrist.
There are many other drugs available OTC besides opioids that are abused.