A 2018 report from The Ohio State University finds the rate of misuse or abuse of prescription stimulants among college students is about 75% higher than that of other classes of medications, and more than 1-in-4 college students says that prescription stimulants are somewhat easy or very easy to obtain.
Providing access to safe and affordable medicines is the highest priority for our members and us. Last fall, AAM's Chip Davis was honored as a Champion for Drug-Free Kids by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), an alliance of more than 5,000 community coalitions building safe, healthy and drug-free communities.
AAM is proud to partner with the Drug Enforcement Administration on an important campaign to curb the misuse of controlled prescription drugs—generic or brand name. The last Take Back Day took place in October 2018, and over 914,000 pounds (457 tons) of drugs were collected at 5,839 sites all over the country.
It is critical that we combat the misuse and abuse of prescription medication while maintaining legitimate, uninterrupted access to medicine by patients in need. Generic drug manufacturers play a key role in producing affordable FDA-approved therapies and believe that patient safety is of the utmost importance. It is a public health imperative that patients take medicines as prescribed and adhere to the instructions of their health care providers.
Key Points:
More than 115 fatal overdoses per day.
An “economic burden” estimated at $78.5 billion a year, a figure that covers the costs of health care, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice involvement.
The Prescription
Opioid abuse is now the number one cause of accidental deaths in the U.S. The Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) is tackling this issue head on by empowering college students with the knowledge and skills they need to make safe and healthy decisions about prescription medications. In partnership with education technology leader EverFi, AAM has developed an innovative digital learning course that uses an evidence-based approach to encourage safe and responsible decision-making.
The abuse of prescription opioids and stimulants is a serious risk on today’s college campuses. That’s why the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) is offering an evidence-based curriculum to help prevent abuse--and it’s free to any college in America. Created with EVERFI, a leader in digital learning and prevention education solutions, including AlcoholEdu, the curriculum equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to help make healthy choices for themselves and their classmates. Learn how to bring this important program to college students in your state or district.
Last year, AAM approached Washington, D.C.-based education-technology company EVERFI—the leading provider of alcohol abuse and sexual assault prevention training for U.S. colleges and universities—and asked the organization to develop a module to help students understand the safe use, storage and disposal of prescription drugs.
The landscape around us looks much different today than it did just one year ago. As our industry changes within the evolving pharmaceutical ecosystem, we must speak with one voice to drive home the message that a robust generic drug and biosimilars marketplace is necessary to sustain affordable health care.