The Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family created a toolkit for communities to launch a public health information campaign to reduce prescription drug abuse. The toolkit includes targeted educational materials and information about implementing harm reduction and safe medication disposal programs as well as information for patients, caregivers, and parents to help them better understand the risks of prescription medications and how to reduce those risks. The toolkit is organized into 5 strategies:
- Reduce illicit acquisition and diversion of prescription drugs
- Promote responsible prescribing and dispensing policies and practices
- Enhance prescription drug practices and policies in law enforcement
- Increase public awareness and patient education about prescription drug misuse and abuse
- Enhance assessment and referral to substance abuse treatment
In addition, the toolkit and this resource page includes information for parents and caregivers about keeping children and youth safe and educating them about appropriate prescription medicine use and information about Arizona’s chronic pain management options.
Creation of the toolkit was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Drug Abuse Prevention for States grant. Links to the project website and copies of materials in the toolkit are available below.
Arizona Rethink Rx Abuse
Source: Arizona Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family
Arizona launched the Rethink Rx Abuse campaign as a way to engage communities in educating their citizens about the risks of prescription drug misuse. This is the website for the campaign where communities can access training from the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family and can
Rethink Rx Abuse Strategy 1: Reduce Illicit Acquisition and Diversion of Prescription Drugs
Part of Arizona’s Rethink Rx Abuse public health information campaign, these materials are intended to help communities implement a program to reduce illicit acquisition and diversion of prescription drugs.
Rethink Rx Abuse Strategy 2: Promote Responsible Prescribing and Dispensing Policies and Practices
Part of Arizona’s Rethink Rx Abuse public health information campaign, these materials are intended to help communities implement a program to promote responsible prescribing and dispensing policies and practices.
Rethink Rx Abuse Strategy 3: Collaborating to Create Safer Communities
Part of Arizona’s Rethink Rx Abuse public health information campaign, these materials are intended to help communities collaborate with law enforcement to create safer communities.
Rethink Rx Abuse Strategy 4: Increase Public Awareness and Patient Education about Rx Drug Misuse and Abuse
Part of Arizona’s Rethink Rx Abuse public health information campaign, these materials are intended to help communities implement a program increase public awareness and patient education about prescription drug misuse and abuse. Includes posters aimed at youth, a guide for stigma reduction, and a guide to using medicine safely.
Rethink Rx Abuse Strategy 5: Enhance Assessment and Referral to Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Part of Arizona’s Rethink Rx Abuse public health information campaign, these materials are intended to help communities improve patient assessment and referral to substance use disorder treatment. Includes information about medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT), fact sheets on identifying opioid use disorder (OUD) or people at risk for developing OUD, and a guide to finding behavioral health treatment services.
Arizona Parents, Youth, Community 360Rx Overview
Source: Arizona Rethink RX Abuse
This fact sheet briefly explains the 360Rx community education initiative adopted in Arizona. The Parents 360Rx program provides an hour long presentation for parents, grandparents, and caregivers to educate them about prescription drug misuse and how parents can help their children
Parent Talk Kit – Tips for Talking and What to Say to Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Source: Arizona Rethink RX Abuse & Partnership at Drug-Free.org
This guide from Partnership at DrugFree.org provides parents and caregivers with specific advice on how to talk to kids to prevent drug and alcohol misuse. It includes age appropriate scripts for starting conversations, guidance on what to say to teens about prescription drugs, advice on
Keep Them Safe
Source: Arizona Governor's Office of Youth, Faith, and Family
This guide for parents and caregivers provides advice on how to prevent youth from abusing alcohol and drugs in their lives. It includes advice for how to help youth resist pressure and reduce stress, how to talk to youth about drug use, how to recognize warning signs of substance use, and how to build a family prevention plan.
Keep Them Safe (Spanish)
Source: Arizona Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family
A Spanish language guide for parents and caregivers on how to prevent youth from abusing alcohol and drugs in their lives. It includes advice for how to help youth resist pressure and reduce stress, how to talk to youth about drug use, how to recognize warning signs of substance use, and how to build a family prevention plan.
Chronic Pain Self-Management Program
Source: Arizona Rethink RX Abuse
This one page fact sheet briefly explains the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP) and how Arizona residents can register for the program. The CPSMP is an evidence-based, self-management workshop developed by researchers at Stanford University and in Canada. The
Is Pain Hurting Your Business?
Source: Arizona Rethink Rx Abuse & Healthy Arizona Worksites
A 2 page document from Healthy Arizona Worksites to educate employers about the impact pain has on the workforce and explain options employers can take to improve pain management for their employees. Part of the Arizona ReThink RX Abuse initiative which helps communities