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FDA-supported opioid prescription education campaign to assist providers

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, with support from the FDA, has announced the national rollout of a new education program for health care providers who prescribe opioids, with the aim of helping them prevent misuse and abuse in their practices.

The program, called Search and Rescue, provides information and training through its website on how to be proactive in identifying and helping patients who are at risk for prescription drug abuse. The announcement follows a recent letter from the Surgeon General to more than 2 million U.S. health care providers, urging them to help curb the trend of opioid medication abuse that, according to federal health officials, has reached epidemic levels.

“The FDA is proud to support this campaign to educate and inform providers about the risks of addiction and the misuse and abuse of opioids in their efforts to treat their patients' pain responsibly and prevent the misuse and abuse of these drugs,” Janet Woodcock, MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release. “Educating the health care community on appropriate prescribing of prescription opioid medications is a cornerstone of the FDA's Opioid Action Plan, and continues to be a top priority for the agency, as well as for HHS and across the federal government.”

Through the program’s website, at searchandrescueusa.org, health care providers can view educational videos, find CME courses, review CDC guidelines on opioid prescriptions for chronic pain, and connect with their state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). Through their PDMP, physicians can access information on patients’ recent prescription history, which can help prevent the practice known as “doctor shopping.”

According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Search and Rescue, which was also developed with the help of health marketing agency Razorfish Health, is designed to reach family physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners through the use of social media, search engine optimization and other media.

The AMA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dental Association and other groups have also agreed to work with the Partnership to promote the program.

According to the CDC, more than six in 10 drug overdoses in the United States involve opioid use, and prescription pain relievers are a driving factor behind the 17-year increase in opioid-related deaths. In addition, sales of prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone have quadrupled since 1999, mirroring the increase of overdoses involving prescription opioids.

FDA funding for Search and Rescue began in 2012, resulting in a pilot campaign in Maryland and Rhode Island in 2014. It later expanded to six states in 2015.

“Today's opioid epidemic has reached alarming and tragic proportions, with 78 opioid overdose deaths occurring daily in the United States,” Marcia Lee Taylor, president and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, said in a press release. “Addressing this dire national problem requires a multi-pronged approach, involving parents, educators, community leaders, treatment professionals and healthcare providers.”

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