Gen Rx U Spotlight: University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy

by Rachel Strait and Kelsey Carol Stephens 

Students performed skits during University of Mississippi Generation Rx presentations. (Photo courtesy of R. Strait and K. C. Stephens)

Students performed skits during University of Mississippi Generation Rx presentations. (Photo courtesy of R. Strait and K. C. Stephens)

The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP) Chapter first implemented a Generation Rx program during the spring semester of 2013. The program, initially targeting middle school and high school students, delivered a PowerPoint presentation with medication abuse statistics and an entertaining skit and concluded with a “Jeopardy” game. After learning from the first year, the goal for the subsequent year was to improve upon the information shared with students as well as expand the program to include college-aged students, in particular, entering freshmen.

Rachel Strait, Project Chair, Generation Rx, and Kelsey Stephens, ASP Chapter President, attended the 2014 Generation Rx University Conference at The Ohio State University to collect best practices in order to further develop local programming for the fall semester. Based on what they learned, the chapter developed and provided a presentation and discussion with incoming college freshman enrolled in the “First Year Experiences” course. This course is designed as an introduction to campus life as a means to ensure student success. The presentation focused on focused statistics, intervention strategies, and explained common myths regarding medication use. A survey was provided to the students before and after the presentation to assess the student’s knowledge and perception of prescription medication misuse. Students’ belief that prescription medications are safer than “street” drugs significantly decreased and student agreement in understanding proper medication disposal significantly increased. Of particular interest, student understanding of where to find resources to help others significantly increased after providing Generation Rx programming. Based on the success of these efforts, ASP was asked to update the textbook used for this course.

Stickers were provided to middle- and high school students after a Generation Rx presentation. (Photo courtesy of R. Strait and K. C. Stephens)

Stickers were provided to middle- and high school students after a Generation Rx presentation. (Photo courtesy of R. Strait and K. C. Stephens)

During the spring semester, the chapter provided presentations to local middle school and high school students focused on a pharmacist’s role as part of the healthcare team, prescription drug abuse statistics and dangers of abuse, media coverage on the topic, and the difference between over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. As a treat for their attention and participation, chapter members provided students with stickers, pens, and seven-day pill planners purchased with The Cardinal Health Foundation Generation Rx Grant.

The chapter is currently working with The Ohio State University, Cardinal Health, and SockKids to develop interactive videos targeting young individuals in helping promote healthy medication habits. Our chapter has improved and developed our Generation Rx program due to the help and support of The Ohio State University, Generation Rx Tool-kits, Cardinal Health, and other APhA-ASP chapters. We look forward to continuing to enhance our Generation Rx program and impact more individuals.

Members of University of Mississippi's Generation Rx provide presentations to middle school and high school students and are expanding to create presentations for younger individuals. (Photo courtesy of R. Strait and K. C. Stephens)

Members of University of Mississippi’s Generation Rx provide presentations to middle school and high school students and are expanding to create presentations for younger individuals. (Photo courtesy of R. Strait and K. C. Stephens)

If you are a member of an APhA-ASP chapter looking to implement or enhance your Generation Rx program, our chapter recommends first selecting a target age group for your program. Next, we recommend beginning with the Generation Rx tool-kits located at generationrx.org. Pre-made Powerpoint presentations, handouts, speaker notes, and more can be found on this website. Once you select the information for a specific age group, it is essential to gain interest of volunteers, develop a committee, and select a location to give the presentation. Training sessions for the speakers may be held before the Generation Rx program begins in order to encourage unity between all of the presentations. Lastly, obtain feedback from presenters, participants, and other chapters to enhance your program for the next year. By following these steps, our chapter was able to develop, implement, and expand our Generation Rx program exponentially in the past two years and hope to continue our efforts in improving our program.

Rachel Strait is from Hazlehurst, MS, and is currently pursuing her PharmD from the University of Mississippi. She is the secretary of American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and the president of the student chapter of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). She served as the project chair for Generation Rx program during the ‘14-‘15 academic year.  She can be reached for questions at rachelcstrait@gmail.com.

 

Kelsey Carol StephensKelsey Carol Stephens is from Greenwood, MS, and is a second year student pharmacist and the President of APhA-ASP (American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists) at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. She initiated development of the Generation Rx program impacting freshman college students and middle- and high school students in the community. She can be reached for questions at kcstephe15@gmail.com.

 

Gen Rx U Spotlight: University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota Generation Rx members present an activity to middle and high school students. (Photo courtesy of Landon Weaver.)

University of Minnesota Generation Rx members present an activity to middle and high school students. (Photo courtesy of Landon Weaver.)

by Landon Weaver

The Generation Rx program has been active for just over a year now in Minnesota.  The University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy operates as one college under two unified yet distinct campuses; one is in urban Minneapolis, and the other is in the more rural city of Duluth. Generation Rx was first implemented on the Duluth campus in the fall of 2013, and student pharmacists enjoyed educating middle and high school students about the very real dangers of prescription drug misuse. Due to the success of Generation Rx on the Duluth campus, the program was implemented on the Twin Cities campus starting in September 2014. Prior to this, the College of Pharmacy used a similar Minnesota-based program known as AWARxE. AWARxE also focused on educating youth on the dangers of prescription drug misuse. However, the program was somewhat limited, as it only provided content for use with middle- and high school-aged students. Aligning with the Generation Rx program on a national level has allowed the College of Pharmacy to raise awareness of the dangers of drug abuse for more individuals in both rural and urban Minnesota communities, particularly in underserved communities. This has allowed students to maximize the impact of this community outreach and public health initiative.

I cannot state how beneficial it was to attend the Generation Rx University Conference [The Higher Education Center’s National Meeting] last August.  I would highly encourage any chapters looking to expand their Generation Rx programs to attend.  Many of the projects we are incorporating came from ideas discussed there.  We have expanded our presentations from primarily being aimed at middle and high school students to now include education initiatives for faculty and staff, and we are hoping to continue this expansion.  Through social media like Twitter and Facebook, we are now raising awareness to those previously out of our geographical reach.  Additionally, plans are in place to donate a medication take back box to a rural area in need.  During one of the sessions at the conference, we learned about the use of rescue naloxone for reversing opioid overdoses by police officers in Ohio.  With inspiration from this discussion, our Minnesota chapter of APhA-ASP created a policy for our midyear regional meeting suggesting a similar stance be taken by the American Pharmacists Association.  All of these ideas have allowed for a growing number of individuals to become involved with Generation Rx at the University of Minnesota.

A new initiative we are excited to announce is our Dodgeball for Drug Misuse Tournament coming up in April.  Generation Rx capitalized on the growing demand for dodgeball on the Duluth campus and coordinated with our APhA-ASP student chapter to coordinate the tournament. Through this exciting event, we will provide an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff to participate in dodgeball while also raising awareness and educating the public about prescription drug misuse.  More information can be found here: http://mnpharmacy.org/ and be sure to follow us on Twitter (@genrxmn)!

005Landon Weaver is the current Generation Rx Coordinator on the University of Minnesota, Duluth, campus.  He also serves as the Worthy Chief Counselor of the Beta Psi chapter of Phi Delta Chi and as secretary for the UM College of Pharmacy student government.

Gen Rx U Spotlight: University of New Mexico

The University of New Mexico’s Generation Rx Chapter recently won the national APhA Generation Rx Award to recognize their outstanding work in prescription drug abuse prevention and education. To find out what has made their program so successful, we interviewed a group of students from UNM’s chapter of Generation Rx.

Joanna Lee

Joanna Lee

Megan Thompson

Megan Thompson

Here is what they had to say about Generation Rx at their university:

The students at the University of New Mexico have been recognized nationally for their work in prescription drug abuse prevention. What has made your school so successful in its Generation Rx projects? What advice can you offer to other colleges to help prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription medications?

David Garcia

David Garcia

Arika Mike

Arika Mike

The Generation Rx program at the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy has been successful because our entire state is behind this initiative. As a student body, we have made important connections statewide. Much of our student body are residents of New Mexico, and enjoy returning their hometowns to talk with their previous teachers, coaches, principals and guidance counselors about this issue and how we can help educate their students. As a result, this spurs excitement among the schools and enthusiastically offers the opportunity for us to get into the classrooms and present. This has been an extremely successful approach.

UNM_Billboard_CampaignIn fact, we have been able to deliver our message in 28 out of the 33 counties in New Mexico. We also have a very dedicated core group of students who are willing to travel statewide to present. Use your School/College of Pharmacy resources!  Use your people resources, like students, faculty, staff and administration. They have connections in the community that reach far beyond what only students have. We have established long-lasting relationships with local and statewide schools just by talking to the people in our own backyard.  If there are more than 1 School/College of pharmacy in the state, join forces to make a greater impact. Utilize the resources provided by Cardinal Health and the Ohio State University to develop your own personalized presentation specific to your community. Send us an email! We are more than happy to provide you with tools or share stories of how we operate with everyone in our community. We would love to help you develop your program any way we can.

If you were starting Generation Rx activities at another school, what is the first thing you would do? 

UNM Generation_Rx_Team_At_APhA-ASP_Annual_2014We can’t just list one!

  1. Enlist a dedicated core group of students who are passionate about this issue.
  2. Use a “train the trainer” model to get new students trained on the various Generation Rx presentations available.
  3. Ask the student body, faculty, staff and administration if they are involved with an outside organization, or have a venue where this information would be well received (high school alma maters, youth groups, sports teams, Girl/Boy Scout troops, Rotary clubs, etc.).
  4. Give a presentation!

What does Generation Rx mean to you?

An initiative designed to educate the public about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and misuse. The “pill taking” generation affects everyone and spans all age groups. Through this free education and prevention program, this initiative can hopefully prevent one more overdose death, rescue one more person from addiction, and, save one more family from suffering a tragic loss.

UNM Generation_Rx_TrainingWhat is the most memorable experience you have had while teaching others about prescription drug abuse?

Recently we were able to present to our first group of youth in recovery. Of all the presentations we have given, this one has truly been the most impactful and memorable for me. To hear the stories of these teenagers’ past drug use and lifestyles they have had to overcome was extremely moving.  We talked about why they felt the way they did when they were using, why they felt cravings, and why their bodies felt the way they did when they were in withdrawal.  This was incredibly impactful for me, and I hope they will remember what we taught them as they bravely start their recovery.  It was at that moment that I felt like I was making a difference.

Why do college students need to be concerned about medication safety?

Medications can be safe and effective when taken the right way.  But when they are abused, or when medication is shared, the consequences can be dire. We hear over and again things like ““I know this won’t hurt me because I know how much to take,” and “My friend takes this and nothing bad happens to them.” Medications are typically dosed based on the severity of the disease and the patient’s height and weight. In college, oftentimes medications are shared, in an attempt to use them for studying or just to party. College students may have no knowledge of what the drug will do to them and they could have a serious allergic reaction, experience dangerous side effects, or, worse, die from an accidental overdose. No one is too strong or too smart to beat a drug if it is abused.  As student pharmacists, we have the duty to stop the spread of misinformation, and ensure safety to our communities.

If you could tell everyone only one thing about prescription drug abuse, what would it be? Why?

DON’T EVEN GET STARTED! No one is strong enough, famous enough, or smart enough to be “invincible” to this problem. Prescription medications improve the lives of patients every day when they are taken as prescribed and appropriate, but they have the potential to be just as dangerous as illegal drugs when abused and misused.

Gen Rx U Spotlight: East Tennessee State University

Jake Peters

Jake Peters

Brandie LeBlanc Clawson

Brandie LeBlanc Clawson

East Tennessee State University’s chapter of Generation Rx earned the title of second place national chapter in 2013. To find out what makes their program so successful, we interviewed Brandie LeBlanc Clawson, the Generation Rx Committee Chair, and Jake Peters, a pharmacy student and President of the Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacists.

 

Here is what they had to say about Generation Rx at their university:

ETSU genrx groupThe students at East Tennessee State University have been recognized nationally for their work in prescription drug abuse prevention. What has made your school so successful in its Generation Rx projects? What advice can you offer to other colleges to help prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription medications?

Brandie: Commitment, Innovation, and Collaboration are what I would say make our program at ETSU successful. Due to our location in Appalachia prescription drug abuse is a big issue. Our families, friends, and community are all affected by the issue making it hit home for a lot of people. To help prevent prescription drug abuse and misuse in their communities use your current resources available and expand from there. The pre-fab materials from Cardinal and Ohio State University are readily available and a great way to get started. Empower and partner with other individuals and community partners. We got our start at ETSU through a local detention center and by having our student pharmacists reach out to their high school teachers to allow us to present there. Each college of pharmacy is also unique so take the pulse of your school and community prior to designing your program; this will ensure the longevity of your program in the community.

ETSU kidIf you were starting Generation Rx activities at another school, what is the first thing you would do?

Jake: Find your niche.  Each community has a different need as it pertains to prescription drug abuse and misuse, so examining your population is key to developing a successful program.  Once you’ve identified your target areas, take the available resources you have from APhA-ASP, Cardinal Health, and the Generation Rx Initiative website maintained by Ohio State and adapt them to meet those needs.  Prescription drug abuse is a national problem, one that doesn’t have a one-size-fits all solution, so the more innovative and informative you can be with your programming, the better.

ETSU boothWhat does Generation Rx mean to you?

Brandie: As cliché as it might sound Generation Rx is a program I have been waiting for. It provides student pharmacists with a way to educate individuals, communities, healthcare providers, and most importantly us as pharmacists. Prior to starting pharmacy school I worked as a critical care registered nurse and saw the heart break prescription drug abuse caused in my community. Since starting pharmacy school I have a completely different understanding and feeling about prescription drug abuse due to the program. I challenge anyone who works this program not to have a change of heart or mind once they begin to learn the mechanisms of devastation this disease causes. I am now a more empathetic person toward the people suffering from this disease and feel empowered to help them combat their disease.

ETSU labWhat is the most memorable experience you have had while teaching others about prescription drug abuse?

Jake: By far it has been the stories.  Numerous times when we have talked with the youth, we have had students come to us with stories of how they have been affected by prescription drug abuse, either by themselves, a friend, or a family member.  While this can be disheartening to have a face, often a young and innocent one, to put with the problem of prescription drug abuse, what makes this a positive is that every time, those students have told us how our program has inspired them to change things for the better and that they’re excited to make that difference in their life.

Why do college students need to be concerned about medication safety?

Brandie: College students are at a pivotal point in their lives, the choices they make today will directly affect the rest of their life. Medications, while safe when taken appropriately have dangerous side effects when they are misused or abused. No one sets out to become an addict; without education about proper medication safety college students are setting themselves up to have a life-long disease that is avoidable.

ETSU activityIf you could tell everyone only one thing about prescription drug abuse, what would it be? Why?

Jake: Prescription drug abuse doesn’t play favorites, choose sides, or affect only certain populations.  It doesn’t matter how successful you are or if your life is in a complete rut, prescription drug abuse can grab a hold of you and hang on a lot harder than you can ever imagine.  Staying informed and making the right decisions to avoid even the risk of prescription drug abuse is key.  But if prescription drug abuse is something that you or someone you know struggles with, remember that addiction is a disease, just like diabetes or high blood pressure.  It can be treated and people need support.  Find a way to be that support system for someone or seek that support for yourself.  Addiction is not a terminal illness if you choose to take it head-on.