Pharmacy Podcast Network

Addressing Drug Diversion and Appropriate Opioid Use The Problem: Drug diversion and prescription drug abuse have created a crisis across the United States. Pennsylvania has the 14th highest drug overdose mortality rate in the country. This corresponds to 15.3 per 100,000 people suffering drug overdose fatalities. The number of overdose deaths, a majority from prescription drugs, in Pennsylvania has increased nearly 90% over the last 15 years. These troubling statistics plague our commonwealth as we are faced with this great challenge. Addressing the Problem: While the problem may never be completely resolved, a multi-faceted collaboration of healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, prescribers, and patients are working together to reduce the impact of this crisis. PPA has developed resources to help pharmacists prevent drug diversion and recognize prescription dru