Pharmacy students work with Rutgers faculty and clinicians to create free toolkit on opiate abuse


Rutgers University, in collaboration with Community in Crisis, has developed an Opioid Abuse Toolkit to provide resources throughout the United States, including outreach at schools, health fairs, churches, and more. The toolkit encompasses a compilation of best practices to plan and execute various community initiatives and provide resources for those struggling with opioid addiction directly or indirectly. Both the toolkit and supplemental material are free to use. Access the toolkit here >>

Specific material covered within the toolkit includes:

Section 1: Event planning overview

Section 2: Building a team through volunteer recruitment

Section 3: Community outreach initiatives (e.g. local health fairs and social media campaigns)

Section 4: Drug overdose prevention and resources for dealing with addiction

Section 5: Drug take-back initiatives

Section 6: Middle school/high school outreach

Section 7: University outreach initiatives

The toolkit was developed by Rutgers University pharmacy students in conjunction with Rutgers faculty and clinicians. Best practices and opioid resources were compiled from a number of sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens, and Operation Prevention.

The toolkit also includes supplemental posters and presentations that are adaptable to best meet your needs, covering topics such as: increasing awareness through social media, how to administer naloxone in cases of overdose, advertising for drug take-back days, information for parents, and resources for teens to contact for further assistance.

The toolkit is free to use and you may select any and all of the toolkit materials you find useful. While we are happy to have you include the name of your organization on any presentation you make using toolkit materials, we request that you include all the acknowledgements and copyright credits as listed in the toolkit so that the contributors and creators are acknowledged.

In addition, while you may excerpt materials as you choose, you may not modify the content provided (e.g. changing text or figures) without prior written permission of Rutgers or the listed copyright holder. That is to ensure the consistency and accuracy of the materials provided.

Please contact Saira A. Jan (sairajan@pharmacy.rutgers.edu) for additional information. We hope that you will recognize the importance of this issue, both in your schools and our communities.

Sincerely,

Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH
Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Joseph A. Barone, PharmD, FCCP
Dean and Professor II of Pharmacy Practice
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Saira A. Jan, MS, PharmD
Clinical Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey