STAMFORD, Conn., April 19, 2011 /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. has developed an educational program called "Addressing Substance Abuse Prevention" (ASAP)  to help healthcare professionals better understand chronic substance abuse disorders; recognize their signs and symptoms; and take steps to a referral for substance abuse treatment.  

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"Substance abuse can impede medical care and may even be life threatening," said Lisa Miller, Pharm.D., M.B.A., Executive Director of Healthcare Education and Liaison programs at Purdue. "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."

The ASAP program includes a 60-minute DVD video and DVD-ROM PowerPoint presentation designed to help healthcare professionals:

• Identify and address the prevalence of addiction disorders and reviews definition of misuse, abuse and addiction;
• Prevent substance abuse and monitor adherence in the healthcare setting;
• Implement strategies to recognize the signs and substance use disorders; and
• Take steps to refer a patient for substance abuse treatment.

"Purdue is committed to improving the care of patients in meaningful ways by providing resources and tools to enhance patient care and quality of life in clinical practice settings," added Miller. "These resources will prove valuable to health professionals who are on the frontline of providing care to patients."

The ASAP materials 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 therapeutic outcomes. 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.