A Digital Approach to Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
Prescription drug abuse and misuse is a national public health emergency, with opioid overdose now the leading cause of accidental deaths in the US. Combating this epidemic requires a focused, population-level prevention initiative. With one in five high school seniors reporting that they have misused prescription drugs, reaching students early is imperative.
To help combat the opioid crisis, North 
Central Health Services has joined the Prescription Drug Safety Network, the nation’s first public-private coalition of healthcare organizations, pharmacies, foundations, and state leaders committed to empowering Americans with the knowledge and skills to make safe and healthy decisions about prescription medications.
The Network’s flagship initiative, the Prescription Drug Safety Course, is a population-level prevention program designed to equip high school students with the knowledge and tools to make healthy, informed decisions around prescription medications. Through interactive scenarios and self-guided activities, students learn the facts about drugs, how to properly use and dispose of them, and how to step in when faced with a situation involving misuse.
Since the Fall of 2018, North Central Health Services has offered this critical prevention education program to high schools in Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren, and White counties.
To read more about the reach of the EverFi program, positive learning outcomes, teacher and student insights, comparative benchmarks, and focus areas for continued engagement click here: Prescription Drug Safety Impact Report | 2020-2021 School Year
To learn how to incorporate the NCHS-funded Prescription Drug Safety online module in your Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren, or White county classroom, please contact Kaley Esselborn at kesselborn @ everfi.com.
References
National Safety Council, 2016
National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2009