Drug poisoning due to overdose is a major health problem in Tennessee. In TN there has been an increase of 210% in accidental overdose deaths since 1999 to 2010. About 80% of drug poisonings in Tennessee were either accidental or self-inflicted. Also as indicated by the CDC in 2010 enough drugs were prescribed to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for one month and the vast amount of drugs increases the risk of misuse. Drug Take Back Events are a useful measure for reducing the number of prescription medications kept in the households. However, the extent to which these events have affected in the reduction of drug poisoning is not well known. The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between the total number of drugs collected at Take Back Events and emergency department admissions due to overdose in three Counties in Northeast TN. In partnership with Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement, drop box donations for controlled substances (CS) were analyzed for Washington, Carter and Sullivan County, Tennessee, from 2009 to 2012. Data were obtained from Tennessee Department of Health on number of emergency department (ED) admissions due to overdose based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 codes occurred between 2009 and 2012 in the above-mentioned counties. Linear forecast trend-line method was used to evaluate associations between the amount of controlled substances collected via donation boxes and number of ED visits occurred during 2009-12. Furthermore Pearson’s correlation analyses were conducted to investigate relationship between drop box donations and ED admissions due to overdose. From 2009 – 2012 the ED visits shows a significant decrease as the amount of drugs collected increases for Washington and Carter County. Also a negative correlation is seen between the ED visit and drugs collection for Washington and Carter County with R2 values of -0.96 and -0.90 respectively. However the same is not true for Sullivan County as the trend was not inversely proportional and also the correlation between ED visits and gathered drugs is low with R2 value of -0.562. These results quantify the potential impact of drug take back events on reduction in drug poisoning due to overdose in Northeast Tennessee. Further study is required to examine the effect of the events on the epidemic of prescription drug abuse and misuse.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is encouraging the innovation of long-acting opioid formulations that are manipulation-resistant. The purpose of this commentary is to assess the benefits and limitations of abuse-deterrent opioid formulations (ADFs) and discuss their role in mitigating the current opioid epidemic. ADFs have been created with chemical properties that make it difficult for people who non-medically use prescription drugs to crush and dissolve opioid tablets, as well as by combining opioids with antagonists such as naloxone or naltrexone, which are released only when the dosage form has been manipulated or the drug is taken by a non-intended route. Despite these and other technologies, consensus regarding the effectiveness of these formulations in preventing non-medical use is lacking given the difficulty in obtaining post-marketing data. Researchers also question if the creation of abuse-deterrent drugs will have a positive effect on those struggling with a severe opioid-use disorder, fearing that current opioid users will simply find a new – perhaps more dangerous – drug of choice. Abuse-deterrent opioids are still opioids, and although they may make manipulation more difficult than non-ADF formulations, they are not “abuse proof.” The introduction of ADFs could provide a false sense of security among prescribers and dispensers, and we fear that ADFs may have a minimal impact on non-medical use of prescription opioids. Further epidemiological studies will be required to determine the large-scale impact of abuse-deterrent opioids in preventing opioid use disorder and its downstream consequences.

The next presentation will examine common gray areas of community pharmacy practice. For example: under what circumstances do pharmacists fill early, transferred controlled substance prescriptions for out-of-town patients; when do pharmacists sell syringes to patients without proof of medical need; and how do pharmacists determine that a buprenorphine prescriber is acting in a patient's best interest? These and other ethical or legal dilemmas challenge pharmacists as they try to balance identifying and preventing potential drug abuse and diversion with providing evidence-based, quality patient care. Based on data from pharmacists and pharmacy students, as well as established theory, presenters will describe typical approaches to decision-making. Multiple pharmacy cases will be discussed. Participants will learn how to integrate best-practice patient care systematically into common practice scenarios.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

No description available.

Informacijos apie narkotines medžiagas ir jų keliamą pavojų yra labai daug, tačiau iškyla klausimas, ar minėta informacija išaiškinama mokiniams, ar mokykloje atliekamos prevencijos priemonės prieš narkomanijos plitimą yra efektyvios. Taip pat labai svarbu žinoti, kaip tas pačias prevencijos priemones mokykloje vertina mokiniai, jų tėvai ir mokytojai, nes siekiant veiksmingai vykdyti narkotikų vartojimo prevenciją būtina derinti visų atsakingųjų pusių nuomonę. Atlikta daug įvairių tyrimų, tačiau mažai dėmesio skiriama tyrimams, kokios yra mokykloje taikomos prevencijos priemonės ir kaip jas vertina mokiniai, jų tėvai ir mokytojai. / While conducting preventive activities, it is worth to find out not only the schoolchildren, their parents and school teachers attitudes towards the preventive measures of a preventive job opportunities and organizing activities to be taken into account. As well as the preventive work is important to involve young people themselves in this way, students will feel useful, contributing to the overall performance, which will only achieve even better results.

The problem of drugs in Oman has assumed serious proportions in recent years. It leads to creation of an underground economy and is associated with loss of skilled manpower. However, the problem has several dimensions. It has direct and indirect adverse effects. In response to increases in both worldwide drug production and drug demand in Oman, law makers in Oman instituted legal measures designed to protect the health, welfare and finance of people from the effects of drug use. In addition, law makers in Oman have recognized that trade in illicit drugs is a global activity and that drug-related activities are associated with other criminal behaviour; therefore they have tried to honour the spirit of international conventions related to drug control. Thus, the Drug Act No. 17 was passed in March 1999 and came into force on 6th April 1999, to regulate the procedures regarding the trafficking and trade of drugs in Oman. The most striking feature of the new law is a 'death penalty. The death penalty would be applied to those charged with drug trafficking and smuggling, as laid down in article No 43. Therefore, the question is can the death penalty deter criminals from committing trafficking and smuggling in drugs? No research has been done to examine the effect of the new drug law in Oman. This thesis aims to fill that gap and investigate the impact of the new drugs law in Oman. Data collection for the study was carried out using three methods: questionnaire, semi-structured interview and documentary data from police files before and after the introduction of the death penalty for the period from 1st April 1996 to 31st March 2002. The total period covered was 72 months. Statistical reports and other research papers carried out in Oman and other countries were also reviewed. The results of testing a number of hypotheses indicated that since the introduction of the death penalty for drug offences, the numbers of drug arrests and the incidence of violence related to drug offences have increased. In addition, the smuggling of drugs by sea has increased. Moreover, heroin trafficking has increased since the introduction of the death penalty. The study found that there is a lack of knowledge about drugs (the types of drugs, punishment, addictions treatment and belief about drug effects) among both groups of participants, drug offenders and non-drug offenders. Finally, the findings of this study indicate that the introduction of the death penalty in Oman does not deter drug offenders from involvement in drug related offences in general and drug trafficking offences in particular.

Objectives are (1) Describe HIV/HCV prevalence in TN and Central Appalachia; (2) Understand syringe access in pharmacy settings. Identify and refer clients to local syringe service programs.

No description available.

Tennessee is ranked second in the nation for pain relievers also known as "opioid" prescriptions and it's affecting individuals, families and communities. Please join us as Tennessee Commissioner of Health Dr. John Dreyzehner kicks off this session with a plenary presentation of our health status as a state, an overview of the main challenges we are facing in this multifaceted issue, and ways we can work together to shape our environment for a healthier future. In conjunction with Governor Haslam's Prescription for Success initiative for Tennessee, partners across the state are supporting the efforts of the lead agency, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service, to improve the health and safety of our residents. The panel participants will discuss current and future efforts to secure additional drug disposal options, revise and improve state and local legislation, develop proactive workforce programs, and more.