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New AWARERX.ORG Content to Educate Consumers on Prescription Drug Abuse and Medication Safety
Originally published in the March 2011 NABP Newsletter
The AWARxE™ Web site has been updated with inviting, easy-to-read, and timely content to more effectively reach consumers seeking information on prescription drug abuse and medication safety. The site will relaunch in March. As the primary communication vehicle of the AWARxE consumer protection program, AWARERX.ORG aims to help consumers become aware of what they can do to protect their families, friends, and communities from prescription drug misuse, counterfeit drugs, and illegal Internet drug outlets.
The refreshed AWARERX.ORG site will feature:
- Facts from the latest reports and links to resources about prescription drug misuse and abuse, counterfeit medications, and buying medicine online, including the NABP list of Not Recommended Web sites
- News articles on related topics
- Medication safety tips pages that can be printed and used as guidelines for safely obtaining, administering, and monitoring over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including guidelines specific to seniors and children
- Current information on Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) drug take-back events and properly disposing of unused, unwanted prescription medications
In addition, the “Ask Your Pharmacist” page will aim to help patients understand that pharmacists can assist with a variety of medication related issues, including answering questions about their medications, performing medication reviews, and collaborating with physicians to optimize drug therapy. All AWARERX.ORG materials encourage consumers to use medications safely by following their doctor’s instructions and talking with their pharmacist when they have questions.
Boards of pharmacy addressing the problem of prescription drug abuse in their state may recommend to their licensees and registrants that they use WWW.AWARERX.ORG as a resource for educating their patients about this alarming trend.
The AWARERX.ORG site will also include a page just for pharmacists. The pharmacists page will provide patient medication safety materials, and information on medication disposal programs and prescription monitoring programs (PMP) as tools to fight prescription drug abuse. Links to relevant NABP documents will also be provided, as well as links to relevant resources from DEA, Food and Drug Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency. Future updates to the page will include details on PMP InterconnectTM currently under development by NABP and scheduled to be available in summer 2011.
Boards of pharmacy that wish to place the AWARxE logo on their Web site, hyperlinked to WWW.AWARERX.org, may obtain information by sending an e-mail to AWARERX@NABP.NET.
As AWARERX.ORG resources are further developed, the Association will provide state boards of pharmacy and other pharmacy organizations with updates on using AWARxE tools.
