Award Hosted by ACT Missouri, Charleston C2000 Coalition, FCC Behavioral Health and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Charleston, Mo., Sept. 7, 2016 – State and community leaders announced today a special honor for Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, recognizing her leadership in the fight against prescription drug abuse in Missouri. She was presented with this honor during ceremonies at the C.F. Bowden Center in Charleston.
ACT Missouri, Charleston C2000 Coalition, FCC Behavioral Health and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals came together to highlight Rehder’s unyielding commitment to create a statewide prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) in Missouri. A PDMP would help prevent drug abuse by providing health care providers timely data for the treatment of patients. In addition, the PDMP program would help identify illicit activities such as visits to multiple doctors for multiple, duplicate prescriptions, something called “doctor shopping.”
‘It’s an honor to receive this award from those who are truly in the trenches daily fighting to prevent opioid misuse and abuse. It takes all of us working together to keep our communities safe. Mallinckrodt, as well as every organization represented here today, not only helps on the front lines but also in the halls of the Capitol as well. I cannot thank them enough,” said Rep. Rehder.
Missouri is the only state without a PDMP. Each of these organizations strongly supports Rep. Rehder’s position and urges the full Missouri legislature to swiftly pass this important legislation to reduce prescription drug abuse and misuse in the state.
Rehder also was recognized for her leadership in advancing the “Safe Communities” program and for her focus on prescription opioid abuse and heroin prevention, which includes her support for the ACT Missouri initiative to distribute 35,000 drug deactivation and disposal pouches donated by Mallinckrodt for citizens – at no cost to them – in the greater Charleston, Mo., area.
“Representative Rehder has been a strong voice for drug abuse prevention in Missouri,” said Jessica Howard, Prevention Program Director, FCC Behavioral Health. “She is an advocate in her community and shares her story about how prescription drug abuse has affected her family, while working hard to prevent other families from suffering this experience.”
Pouches Can Prevent 525,000 Pills from Abuse in Southeast Missouri
The user-friendly pouches are a safe and responsible way to dispose of leftover prescription pain medications. The pouches deactivate prescription drugs and render chemical compounds safe for landfills. After placing pills in the specially formulated pouch and filling it with regular tap water, it can be sealed and thrown away with the household trash. If all 35,000 pouches are filled to the maximum 15 pills capacity, 525,000 prescription pills would be destroyed and prevented from falling into the wrong hands.
The drug deactivation and disposal pouches are being distributed through the Missouri Substance Abuse Prevention Network. ACT Missouri facilitates this group of prevention leaders representing 160 community coalitions across the state. These coalitions work with groups such as educators, pharmacies, law enforcement and mental health providers to distribute the pouches.
The organizations that honored Rehder all share a strong commitment to drug abuse prevention – ACT Missouri is a private not-for-profit corporation that works with community groups across the state and national organizations to promote safe, healthy and drug-free communities; the Charleston C2000 Coalition concentrates on youth substance prevention and positive life choices in Charleston, Mo.; FCC Behavioral Health is a private, non-profit community health center that offers an array of behavioral health programs through 22 clinics and treatment centers in Southern Missouri: and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company, is committed to working with policy makers, community leaders, law enforcement and industry partners to ensure the responsible use of pain medication and prevent unused medications from ending up in the wrong hands.
The local donation is part of Mallinckrodt’s 1-million pouch donation initiative to help combat the abuse of prescription pain medications, which is one of the top public health threats in the U.S. today. A national survey of U.S. adults who used opioids showed that nearly 6 out of 10 had or expect to have leftover opioids, according to findings published online June 13, 2016, in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal. Nearly 68 percent of those who used prescription pain relievers non-medically in 2012-2013 got them from friends or relatives, according to the 2013 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Find more information at www.mallinckrodt.com/disposal.
“As a company focused on the health and well-being of our patients and communities, Mallinckrodt has long been a strong advocate of addressing the complex issues of opioid misuse and abuse that cause so much harm to families,“ said Mark Trudeau, Mallinckrodt President and Chief Executive Officer. “We share the concerns of people across the nation, and believe that providing patients with a safe and responsible way to dispose of unused medications is critical in this fight against prescription drug abuse.”
The drug deactivation pouches are manufactured by Minneapolis-based Verde Technologies. Find more information at www.mallinckrodt.com/disposal.
CONTACTS
Jessica Howard, MACSAPP, Prevention Program Director
Division of Behavioral Health Funded Regional Support Center
FCC Behavioral Health
C2000@fccinc.org 573-888-5925, ext. 1315
Rhonda Sciarra
Senior Manager, Communications
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
rhonda.sciarra@mallinckrodt.com
314-654-8618