March 15, 2018 Maura Sirianni NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Tennessee has one of the highest rates of opioid prescriptions per person across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With the opioid epidemic surging on, pharmaceutical practices are evolving to keep up. Pharmacists are often the last line of defense between […]
We all have role to play in ending opioid crisis
August 26, 2017 Marie Chrisholm-Burns, Guest Columnist Opioids — medications used to treat pain and associated with euphoria — are responsible for as many as 91 overdose deaths every day in the United States. Today, opioid misuse is a national crisis. In fact, the government declared it an official national emergency earlier this month. Tennessee […]
What one young adult’s addiction says about Tennessee’s opioid crisis
March 26, 2017 Holly Fletcher Joy Fanguy was so afraid of overdosing on pain pills that she kept a running log of how many she’d taken on her nightstand. Some nights, she scrawled a note in the event she didn’t wake to let her loved ones know her death was not a suicide. “I was always […]
Prescription Drug Misuse Impacts More than 70 Percent of U.S. Workplaces According to National Safety Council Poll
March 9, 2017 ITASCA, Ill., — More than 70 percent of United States employers are feeling the direct impact of prescription drug misuse in their workplaces, according to a survey released today by the National Safety Council. The survey, the first of its kind in the nation, also found that although 71 percent of employers agree […]
Reminder: Tomorrow Is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day!
Just a reminder that tomorrow, Oct. 22, is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. If you or someone you know has leftover prescription pills, bring them to one of several locations across the state to dispose of them safely and securely. For an entire list of Take-Back locations or to find the one closest to your […]
Chief Blackwell Discusses Prescription Drug Misuse
Prescription drug misuse is growing epidemic in the United States, especially in Tennessee. In 2014, there were more than 1,200 confirmed drug overdose deaths throughout the state according to the Center for Disease Control. The main source? Opioids. Paul Blackwell, the Chief of Police for the Tullahoma Police Department, knows the problem all too well. […]
Local prescription drug program receives funding from BCBS of Tennessee Health Foundation
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation has provided $1.3 million in funding for the state’s Count It! Lock It! Drop It! program. The money is divvied up across the state to coalitions and organizations that participate in the program. The funding is for two years. The foundation will also provide brochures, counting sheets, and […]
Count It! Lock It! Drop It!™ Launching Faces of Opioid Addiction Ad Campaign
Count It! Lock It! Drop It!™ with support from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation is launching a statewide advertising campaign Sept. 12 in an effort to combat prescription drug misuse. The TV spot will begin airing in East Tennessee on WBIR-TV (NBC) in Knoxville and WCYB-TV (ABC) in Tri-Cities. Adam Allmon, a recovering addict […]
