Partnership to End Addiction launches RxAware - a program to curb opioid misuse and educate families

NEW YORK, July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Partnership to End Addiction, a national nonprofit uniquely positioned to reach, engage and help families impacted by addiction, launched an innovative program that will help curb opioid misuse. The program, RxAware, aims to educate people on the wide array of non-opioid pain relievers available and offer ways to reduce the risks associated with opioid medications, if prescribed.

"As a country, we are shattering record after record for overdose deaths. We need to do everything we can to reverse this epidemic," said Marcia Lee Taylor, Chief External and Government Relations Officer at Partnership to End Addiction. "Our RxAware tool will empower people with information about alternatives to opioids for pain management as well as what they can do to prevent addiction and overdose. Knowledge is power and we are grateful to our partners who are helping us to reach families around the country."

RxAware is a personalized text messaging program that educates parents, caregivers and individuals on opioid medication safety and non-addictive pain relievers. After texting RXAWARE to 55753, participants will answer a short series of questions about their own – or a loved one's – pain management needs. The participant will then receive personalized messages vetted by health professionals that provide educational information, resources and actionable support.

With support from Walmart, RxAware is rolling out this summer in Kentucky, Idaho, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Local organizations in each state, such as Kentucky's Operation UNITE, have partnered with Partnership to End Addiction to share this resource with residents in their states.

"Prevention is the most effective tool to avoid problems resulting from opioid misuse," said Nancy Hale, President & CEO of Operation UNITE. "UNITE is pleased to take the lead for this project in Kentucky. RxAware provides another opportunity to share factual information and resources with the citizens of the Commonwealth through our vast network of partners. This collaboration creates additional avenues to prevent addiction and overdoses, and ultimately to save lives."

Partnership to End Addiction offers a range of free, evidence-based support services for people who are helping loved ones struggling with addiction. Some resources include: 

• Help & Hope by Text: Personalized support and information provided by text message.
• Partnership's one-on-one support: Support from trained and caring specialists who are ready to listen, answer questions and help people navigate whatever issues they are facing.
• Online support community: Regular online sessions held by trained specialists who share guidance on addressing substance use and related issues.
• Peer support program (parent coaching): Personalized emotional support and expertise from trained parents who have personal experience supporting loved ones with addiction.
• Digital and media resources: Original information and guidance, ranging from prevention to recovery.

After contacting the Partnership's helpline, 84% of families report feeling more knowledgeable, 82% say they are more hopeful and 89% feel satisfied with their help. If you need help supporting a loved one struggling with substance use, visit drugfree.org.  

Partnership to End Addiction is a national nonprofit uniquely positioned to reach, engage and help families impacted by addiction. With decades of experience in research, direct service, communications and partnership-building, we provide families with personalized support and resources — while mobilizing policymakers, researchers and health care professionals to better address addiction systemically on a national scale. For more information, visit drugfree.org.

Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education, Inc.), a non-profit organization serving 32 counties in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, is a collaborative model striving to prevent substance misuse and facilitate recovery. This pioneering holistic approach – creating strategic partnerships, providing leadership, promoting education, coordinating treatment, and supporting law enforcement – has become a model for other states and nations.

UNITE operates the KY HELP Statewide Call Center, which provides resources for Kentuckians seeking help for a substance use disorder and offers comfort, support and guidance to family members confronted with a loved one's addiction.  In addition, UNITE created and now serves as the Educational Advisor for the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, the most influential annual gathering for stakeholders to discuss what is working in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement. 

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Partnership to End Addiction