Cardinal Health Foundation, The Ohio State University Launch Fourth Toolkit to Help Reduce Abuse of Prescription Drugs on College Campuses

DUBLIN, Ohio, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were twice as likely as their counterparts who were not full-time college students to have used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year.[i] And The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reports at least one study showing that 34 percent of students at a large university used a prescription stimulant drug when they felt academic stress, believing that these drugs increased reading comprehension, cognition, and memory.[ii]

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Prescription drug abuse on college campuses has become reality. To help combat the epidemic, The Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy have introduced Generation Rx University, the fourth in a series of interactive toolkits designed to help reduce the abuse of prescription drugs. The Generation Rx University toolkit is designed to help college and university students, faculty and staff on campuses across the country educate others about the misconceptions, realities and dangers of prescription drug abuse among 18-to 25-year olds.

"The average age when prescription drug abuse starts is around 21," said Ken Hale, assistant dean for professional and external affairs at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. "It's critical that our colleges and universities do more to help prevent this potentially deadly behavior, and this new toolkit is designed to help them do that."

Generation Rx University was created by college students for college students and includes discussion-based and performance-based resources intended to help deliver programs on college campuses. The collegiate-focused material includes PowerPoint presentations and scripts, facilitator notes, workbooks, handouts, and posters to help foster conversation and educate participants. The toolkit also includes a guide for creating a reality skit and encourages actors to remain in character for a question-and-answer session following a theatrical performance.

The collegiate toolkit was piloted in August at the 2012 Collegiate Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Conference at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The two-day conference, sponsored by the Cardinal Health Foundation and other drug abuse prevention organizations, brought together 120 students, faculty and staff from 28 colleges and universities nationwide and featured panels of experts, breakout workshops and networking opportunities. Following the conference, attendees were encouraged to apply for grants up to $2,500 on behalf of their college/university campuses to increase awareness and implement Generation Rx education and prevention tactics. Seven schools received funding: Ohio University - Lancaster in Lancaster, Ohio; Ohio University Foundation - Athens, Ohio; Shawnee State University Foundation, Portsmouth, Ohio; California University of Pennsylvania Foundation, California, Penn.; University of Cincinnati Foundation - James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, Cincinnati, Ohio; University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.; University of New Mexico Foundation - College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, N.M.

"The Collegiate Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Conference at The Ohio State University generated incredible awareness and enthusiasm to tackle this issue," said Dianne Radigan, vice president, Community Relations at Cardinal Health. "We're pleased to be able to support schools that are pioneering a concerted effort to prevent prescription drug abuse, and we look forward to collaborating with them again in 2013 to celebrate the results of their work and share best practices."

In further partnership, Cardinal Health has again collaborated with the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) to promote Generation Rx University. Since 2010, the organizations have worked together to provide a comprehensive education program to aid pharmacists and student pharmacists in educating their communities about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Student pharmacists across the country use the Generation Rx University toolkit to educate their peers around campus through events in the classrooms, residence halls, athletic events and online through social media.

Generation Rx University can be found at cardinalhealth.com/generationrx. The original Generation Rx toolkit, a second toolkit aimed at youth, and another aimed at helping seniors prevent medication misuse can also be found on the site.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $108 billion health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while  reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 60,000 locations each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #21 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.

About The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
Established in 1885, the College of Pharmacy is one of the oldest colleges at The Ohio State University. The overall mission is to advance pharmaceutical care for the people of Ohio and the global community through our teaching, research and service. The college offers high quality programs at the undergraduate, graduate professional, graduate research, and postdoctoral levels. For more information visit pharmacy.osu.edu or on Facebook at facebook.com/osu.Pharmacy. 

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. For more information, please visit www.pharmacist.com.

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[i] http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k9/adderall/adderall.htm

[ii] http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/national-drug-control-strategy-introduction

Related Link
Generation Rx

SOURCE Cardinal Health