American Pharmacists Association, Cardinal Health Foundation Announce Winners of 2012 GenerationRx Award

NEW ORLEANS, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- During the American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans, the Cardinal Health Foundation and APhA awarded the inaugural APhA GenerationRx Award of Excellence, an award recognizing one pharmacist for his or her outstanding efforts in prescription medication abuse prevention.

The 2012 recipient is Megan E. Thompson, PharmD, director of Advanced Professional Pharmacy Experiences (APPE), University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy. Thompson was chosen in recognition of her work informing the local schools and community about the dangers of drug abuse, especially prescription misuse and abuse.

"We are excited to recognize pharmacists who are leading the way when it comes to raising awareness of this important public health issue," said Elizabeth Cardello, R.Ph., APhA Director of Corporate Alliances. "APhA's partnership with the Cardinal Health Foundation has made a strong impact on the ability of pharmacists and student pharmacists to educate their communities about the dangers of prescription drug abuse."

APhA also awarded the second annual Generation Rx National Award, which recognizes use of the GenerationRx toolkit, an easy-to-use communications package including talking points, presentation materials and tips to enable users to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse in their communities. This award is part of a competition among the 123 APhA Academy of Student Pharmacist Chapters. The top five chapters in this year's competition are: D'Youville College School of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy, Union University School of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, and University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.

The awards mark a continuation of the AphA and Cardinal Health Foundation partnership to prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription medications. The organizations work together to provide a comprehensive education program to aid pharmacists and student pharmacists in educating their communities about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

"We're pleased to be able to recognize Dr. Thompson and these leading student pharmacist chapters, because we believe that pharmacists and student pharmacists can play an important role in helping parents, educators, community leaders and teens better understand the dangers of prescription drug abuse," said Jessica Lineberger, manager of the Cardinal Health Foundation. "We appreciate and are inspired by their work in prevention, and we look forward to our continued collaborative efforts with AphA in order to be able to help pharmacists and students like these in the fight to save thousands of lives through prescription drug abuse prevention."

About the Cardinal Health Foundation

The Cardinal Health Foundation supports local, national and international programs that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and excellence and the overall wellness of the communities where Cardinal Health's (NYSE: CAH) 30,000 employees live and work. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to encourage community service among its employees and works through international agencies to donate much-needed medical supplies and funding to those who need them in times of disaster. To learn more, visit CardinalHealth.com/community.

About the American Pharmacists Association

The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization, representing more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States.

SOURCE Cardinal Health Foundation