Kentucky News: Pharmacist Recovery Network

June 1, 2009 4:23 pm Topics: Addiction recovery

Published in the June 2009 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter

It is estimated that 7.8% of the population in the United States has diabetes. There is a substantial amount of education on this disease and its symptoms and complications in our professional schools. It is a chronic disease that is treatable, yet has no cure.
Yet a chronic, progressive, and fatal disease that affects an estimated 10% of our population, addiction, receives little attention in our professional schooling. The estimated number of people afflicted who are health care professionals is 12-16%. This number does not include those who are directly or indirectly affected (note that the afflicted are those with the disease and those affected by the disease).
If you would like to learn more about addiction you have several options. A brilliant clinical text is the book Alcoholics Anonymous. While it was written in 1938 and published in 1939, it provides an insightful description of this disease, its symptoms, and an option for treatment.
You may look to the annual Clinical Applications of the Principles in Treatment of Addictions and Substance Abuse Conference (www.CAPTASA.org) held in Lexington, KY, in January. The University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies is held in Salt Lake City, UT, in June each year. The Web site www.USAPRN.org provides a comprehensive listing of conferences, meetings, articles, and other sources of information on addiction.
Should you have questions or if you are seeking help for yourself, a colleague, or a loved one, you may contact 502/749-8385 or at kyprn@insightbb.com for confidential assistance.