NASCSA Receives $200,000 Grant From Purdue Pharma L.P. to Support State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA) announced receipt of a $200,000 grant from Purdue Pharma L.P. today at the organization's 27th annual conference in Charleston, South Carolina. The grant is part of Purdue Pharma's ongoing efforts to support the operation, expansion and awareness of appropriately-designed state prescription drug monitoring programs, which can be an effective tool to address prescription drug abuse and diversion.

NASCSA will manage the solicitation, review and funding of grant proposals. State government agencies or departments will be selected based on an independent review by the NASCSA Special Projects Committee, which consists of association members with expertise in the fields of prescription drug abuse and diversion and prescription drug monitoring programs. Purdue Pharma will have no input into the final selection process.  

"State budgets are shrinking, but the abuse and diversion of prescription drug problem is a growing concern, said Kathy Keough, NASCSA Executive Director. "Purdue Pharma's funding of state prescription drug monitoring programs will help keep these medications out of the wrong hands while ensuring legitimate patients have access to the medications they need."

The grant monies are scheduled to be distributed by NASCSA to various state government departments or agencies with the ability to accept private funding expressly for their state prescription monitoring program by the end of 2011.

"Since 2001, Purdue Pharma has been working to support the implementation of appropriately-designed prescription monitoring programs as one way to help reduce abuse and diversion of prescription medications," said Alan Must, vice president of state government and legislative affairs at Purdue Pharma. "Reducing the abuse of prescription medications will take the combined and coordinated efforts of healthcare professionals, law enforcement, government agencies and local communities. NASCSA is an organization that is uniquely qualified to address the issues of prescription drug abuse from a broad inclusive perspective and we are delighted to provide this funding for this initiative."

The National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities is a 501(C)(3) non-profit educational organization whose primary purpose is to provide a continuing mechanism through which state and federal agencies can work to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of efforts to prevent and control drug diversion and abuse. NASCSA can be found at www.nascsa.org.

Purdue Pharma L.P. is a privately-held pharmaceutical company known for pioneering research on persistent pain. Headquartered in Stamford, CT, Purdue is engaged in the research, development, production, and distribution of both prescription and over-the-counter medicines and hospital products. Additional information about Purdue Pharma can be found at www.purduepharma.com.

SOURCE Purdue Pharma L.P.; National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities