In a response to the educational challenges presented by COVID-19, Marietta Hagan, population health project coordinator at CoxHealth, announced that an interactive online prescription drug safety course for high school students is currently being offered directly to parents in more than 30 Missouri counties through a strategic partnership with EVERFI Inc., a leading social impact technology innovator. The cost of the course has been covered through a grant from the AmerisourceBergen Foundation as part of the Opioid Resource Grant Program.
“Prescription Drug Safety” is designed to provide high school students with the knowledge and tools to make healthy, informed decisions when it comes to prescription medications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five high school seniors reports having misused prescription drugs at least once.
“We are proud to offer this vital education directly to students during this challenging time,” Hagan said. “Prescription drug misuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in America, and it profoundly impacts teenagers and their families.”
The course uses interactive scenarios and self-guided activities to help students learn the facts about prescription drugs, how to properly use and dispose of them, and how to step in when faced with a situation involving misuse. The program includes six learning modules that cover topics such as the principles of addiction and the medical uses and potential dangers of using different types of drugs, including opioids, stimulants and depressants, without a prescription.
“Our communities are being devastated by the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs,” said Jon Chapman, founder and president of EVERFI. “We are focused on providing a system of prevention education, which we believe is a powerful tool in reaching youth, who are one of our most at-risk populations, so they feel empowered to make healthy and informed decisions when it comes to prescription medication.”
“Prescription Drug Safety” uses an evidence-based, universal, public health approach to learning, along with interactive, true-to-life scenarios that reinforce key learning objectives. An important component of the course is teaching students how to deal with situations involving misuse. Students explore the thoughts of their peers and debunk common myths. They also step into the shoes of a student engaging in misuse and get to see the real results of their choices.
Parents can visit https://everfi.com/k-12/parent-remote-learning/ to sign up their students for the Prescription Drug Safety course and other online courses, including mental wellness, digital wellness, STEM, and more.