New Educational Resource Helps Healthcare Professionals Recognize, Address Substance Abuse in Clinical Practice Settings

STAMFORD, Conn., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The abuse of illicit drugs and prescription medications present serious challenges for many healthcare professionals. As part of its commitment to be part of the solution to prescription drug abuse, Purdue Pharma L.P. is making available a free educational resource called "Patient Evaluation Resources For Opioid Risk Management" (PERFORM) to assist healthcare professionals assess the risk of medication misuse in patients.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54421-purdue-pharma-perform-healthcare-professionals-substance-abuse-tool

"Substance abuse can impede medical care and may even be life threatening," said Charles Argoff, M.D., professor of neurology at Albany Medical College and director of the Comprehensive Pain Center at Albany Medical Center. "I helped develop PERFORM because it is important for healthcare professionals to be able to recognize and address substance abuse in order to address medication therapy adherence and to intervene when appropriate."

PERFORM offers a relevant, interactive resource that engages the learner through critical thinking and real-world practical applications while also reinforcing Purdue's commitment to improving patient care while managing risks. The PERFORM resource is an interactive CD-ROM with accompanying resource binder and includes:

• Case vignettes illustrating low, moderate, and high-risk patients;
• Video from four leading healthcare professionals providing insight and guidance in the utilization of pain assessment and risk assessment tools;
• Patient screening tools;
• Documentation and monitoring information;
• Patient education tips;
• Links to other resources for healthcare professionals; and
• Links to resources that healthcare professional can provide to their patients.

"Analyses of educational needs assessments, feedback from managed care decision-makers, and the advent of the class-wide REMS all point to the need for this type of education," said Lisa Miller, Pharm.D., executive director of Healthcare Education and Liaison programs at Purdue. "This resource will assist health professionals who are on the frontline of providing care to patients."

The PERFORM resource along with a wide variety of learning tools are available at no cost for health professionals to help them improve practice skills and support improved patient care. These tools are available at www.PurduePharmaMedEdResources.com.

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

SOURCE Purdue Pharma L.P.