Interprofessional Working Group Addresses Prescription Drug Abuse

Abstract

Northeast Tennessee has been disproportionately burdened by a high prevalence of opioid prescribing, prescription drug abuse, addiction, overdose, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. The East Tennessee State University Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse Working Group (PDAMWG) formed upon recognizing an urgent need for a collaborative, multi-faceted response to reduce prescription drug abuse. Composed of over 100 members from various agencies, organizations, and institutions, members of this highly interprofessional, university-sponsored working group include academic scholars, healthcare providers, pharmacists, elected officials, students, community members, and more. This collaboration has successfully generated multiple funded research projects and numerous evidence- and community-based initiatives targeting prescription drug abuse. This seminar will focus on substance abuse prevention, specifically the prevention of prescription drug abuse. In addition to providing a data supported summary of the epidemic in the region, this seminar will outline the historical development of the PDAMWG and describe past and present research and community-based initiatives. An emphasis will be on the continuous commitment of the PDAMWG to the development, dissemination, and implementation of evidence-based practices to reduce prescription drug abuse and improve population health in the region. This seminar will also document research as well as community-based outcomes of PDAMWG efforts. Consequently, participants will recognize the effectiveness of strong, cross-sector partnerships for population health improvement. Relatedly, participants will develop a concrete understanding of a collaborative approach that bridges academic research and community-based practice. Perhaps most importantly, participants will discover its potential for replication in other communities to support the achievement of maximum, evidence-based outcomes for various health concerns. Lastly, participants will be introduced to the underlying model of the PDAMWG, which visually depicts evidence-based strategies along the disease continuum. As a result, participants will appreciate the complexity of public health problems and the subsequent importance of a multi-pronged, evidence-based response to addressing the