Holly Fletcher May 2, 2017 More than 2,800 naloxone kits, the temporary antidote to opioid overdose, will be distributed to a variety of agencies statewide in an effort to get more kits of the drug into the hands of law enforcement and first responders. The Tennessee High Patrol will be receiving 900 kits, and every state […]
Thousands of pills collected during drug take-back day
Adam Tamburin April 29, 2017 Middle Tennesseans got rid of thousands of unused prescription pills Saturday when national, state and local agencies teamed up to host the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The bi-annual effort to dispose of controlled substances has taken on added significance in the shadow of a deadly epidemic of opioid abuse. […]
How to fight opioid abuse by trashing old medicine
Adam Tamburin April 27, 2017 Middle Tennesseans will get a chance to unload their old prescriptions Saturday when pharmacies across the area participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The bi-annual event, which is supported by the Drug Enforcement Administration nationally and the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, has taken on added significance […]
Highlighting National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Dr. Andrea Willis April 26, 2017 Prescription Drug Take-Back Day We see the impact of opioid abuse daily. We see it on the faces of family members and friends who are desperate to help their children struggling with addiction. We see it on the faces of co-workers who have lost family members to a drug […]
Tennessee To Receive $13.8 Million Aimed At Prescription Opioid Crisis
April 25, 2017 U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D. has announced that the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will be awarded $13.8 million through the 21st Century Cures Act to help combat the prescription opioid epidemic in Tennessee. This is the largest single federal funding increase for opioid […]
Dispose of unused medications at take-back event
Greg James, M.D. April 22, 2017 Every day, we see the impact of opioid abuse in our hospitals throughout Middle Tennessee. We see it when overdose victims are brought to our emergency rooms. We see it in physicians’ offices when patients struggling with addiction ask for help. We see it on the faces of parents […]
Health foundation hosting prescription drug collection events across the state
April 20, 2017 Tennessee residents are invited to bring their unused or expired medications to one of more than 100 National Drug Take-Back events being held statewide April 29. The 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. events aim to provide safe, convenient locations to dispose of prescription drugs and other medications, and to raise awareness about […]
How Do Former Opioid Addicts Safely Get Pain Relief After Surgery?
Nashville Public Radio April 20, 2017 Nearly 1.5 million Americans were treated for addiction to prescription opioids or heroin in 2015, according to federal estimates, and when those people get seriously hurt or need surgery, it’s often not clear, even to many doctors, how to safely manage their pain. For some former addicts, what begins […]
The ONE Item You Need to Get Rid of This Month!
StyleBlueprint How many times have you been prescribed pain medication to help you heal after an injury or surgery? And if so, we bet you probably felt better before you even finished the prescription, which left you with a half-finished bottle of pills that’s likely been collecting dust in the back of your medicine cabinet. […]
Program aims to meet addicts’ health needs long term
Kristi L. Nelson April 19, 2017 As early as 2010, they began to see the signs of the coming epidemic. Patients came in for primary care with needle tracks on their arms and full-blown cases of undiagnosed hepatitis C. Pregnant women waited until well into their third trimester to seek prenatal care — afraid to […]