Abstract available through the Journal of Pharmacy Practice.

Abstract available through Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

No description available.

The presentation will look beyond red flags to inform Rx legitimacy judgments and subsequent prescribing and dispensing decisions. The presenter will describe the outcomes of two research projects that examined prescribers’ and pharmacists’ perceptions of Rx legitimacy and Rx drug abuse communication behaviors. Attendees will gain insight into the process of evaluating Rx legitimacy and learn how subjectivity inherent in these judgments influences prescribing and dispensing behaviors and patient care. The presenter also will identify evidence­based, practice-friendly interventions to engage community pharmacists in community-based prevention of Rx drug abuse and its consequences.

No description available.

No description available.

Prescription drug abuse and misuse (PDA/M) prevalence has increased dramatically in the United States over the last two decades. Community pharmacists are intimately involved in the dispensing of a majority of eventually abused/misused prescription drugs and are thus well positioned to engage in PDA/M prevention and treatment. A known barrier to engagement in prevention efforts among providers is discomfort with PDA/M communication. The objective of this study was to explore relative situational self-perceived PDA/M communication confidence among Tennessee community pharmacists. Using the validated Self-Perceived Communication Competence instrument as a framework, an 18-item survey instrument (0-100 scale; 0=completely unconfident, 100=completely confident) was developed and administered to 2000 Tennessee pharmacists. Items elicited communication confidence across multiple contexts and receivers, including PDA/M situations and common community pharmacy situations. Parametric statistical tests were used to examine differences in communication confidence across demographic variables. A 40% response rate was obtained. Mean self-perceived communication confidence ratings ranged from 54.2 to 92.6. Statistically significant differences were noted across receiver type and context. Addiction communication confidence was significantly lower than all other scenarios involving patient communication, including items that could be considered accusatory to patients (non-adherence, smoking cessation). Differences in communicative self-confidence were noted across gender, practice setting, years in practice, hours worked per week, and number of prescriptions filled per week. Pharmacists’ self-perceived communication confidence is situational and varies across pharmacist and practice setting characteristics. Efforts to engage community pharmacists in PDA/M prevention and treatment should foster development of communicative self-confidence across multiple PDA/M situations.

Proper disposal of controlled substance medications, a legally gray area since the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 was passed, has received renewed attention in recent years because of an increase in deaths related to opioid pain reliever (OPR) overdoses and increased nonmedical use of OPRs.1,2 Prescription drug take-back events have been organized under the purview of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to properly dispose of controlled substance medications; to decrease prescription medication diversion, abuse, and accidental poisonings; and to decrease environmental hazards resulting from improper medication disposal. The DEA has reported pounds of medications in aggregate donated at take-back events but has not examined the extent to which OPRs are being donated at these events.3 We analyzed the characteristics of donors and medications donated at 11 take-back events in rural Appalachia, an area struggling with disproportionately high rates of OPR nonmedical use and abuse.

Pharmacists’ ability to interfere with prescription drug abuse is hindered back a lack of confidence, training, and time.

This seminar will focus on the problem of prescription and other opioid abuse in Appalachia. Topics include epidemiology of the problem, a model for understanding the scope and complexity of the problem and key lessons learned in Tennessee. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of current efforts to address the problem by groups in the NE Tennessee and SW Virginia region.