Healthcare officials fight prescription drug misuse

Top officials from 12 regional hospitals and four health departments joined forces Monday to formally voice their fight against the misuse of prescription drugs.

Chief executive officers from hospitals and health departments from Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties signed a public proclamation Jan. 31 designating 2011 as the year of the Campaign for Responsible Prescriptions.

The event demonstrated a commitment to work together to address prescription drug misuse after months of collaboratively working together to identify key strategies to impact the issue, including educational opportunities for physicians and medical professionals, educating patients about safe storage and disposal of prescription drugs and disseminating data about the prescription drug epidemic in the region.

The Community Health Improvement Partnership spearheaded this multi-healthcare organization agreement through its Health Provocateur Project, which includes CEOs of every hospital and health department in these counties.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].