SIUE Dept. of Social Work and School of Pharmacy Hold Drug Abuse Workshop
An audience of 100 local social workers, probation officers, police officers, teachers and Drug Enforcement Agency representatives attended “Hooked by Prescription: The Rx Drug Epidemic,” a continuing education workshop on April 10 at Anderson Hospital in Maryville. Coordinated by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Social Work, speakers from the SIUE School of Pharmacy presented on prescription drug abuse and dependence.
“This was a great collaboration between our School of Pharmacy and Department of Social Work,” said Dr. Kelly Gable, associate professor in the School of Pharmacy. “I’m most proud of our four students who spoke as part of the workshop.”
School of Pharmacy student presenters were Dana Wright of Carlinville, Edwardsville’s Nathan Lindley, Effingham native Kim Kabbes and Tina Messinger of Glendora, Calif. They spoke along with Gable and School of Pharmacy faculty members Dr. Lisa Lubsch, clinical associate professor, and Dr. Chris Lynch, professor of pharmacy practice and director of clinical programs.
The presenters provided an introduction into commonly abused prescription drug products (pain medications, stimulants, sedative-hypnotics), as well as current trends with regard to drug abuse and safety. They focused on specific population groups including adolescents, healthcare providers, dual diagnosis and geriatrics.
“Our goal was to give participants a better understanding of specific prescription drug products that can be abused, how these medications impact individuals across the lifespan, and the different treatment options available to combat the drug abuse epidemic,” Gable said.
Photo: Dr. Kelly Gable, associate professor in the School of Pharmacy.
