EAST PROVIDENCE — The next chapter in the continuing opioid epidemic awareness joint effort between the East Providence Prevention Coalition and East Providence Public Libraries takes place Monday …
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EAST PROVIDENCE — The next chapter in the continuing opioid epidemic awareness joint effort between the East Providence Prevention Coalition and East Providence Public Libraries takes place Monday night, Nov. 19, when employees from CVS Health present as part of its “Pharmacists Teach” program a seminar titled “Prescription for Parents” at the Weaver Branch. The event begins at 7 p.m.
According to Library Assistant Director Joyce May, Prescription for Parents discusses commonly abused drugs as well as how to identify the signs of drug misuse and abuse. It also provides helpful tips and tools parents need to effectively communicate to their kids the risks of prescription drugs and the potential for addiction. The presentation includes an approximately 20-minute video, which Mrs. May terms “powerful,” of real life stories and concludes with the opportunity to ask questions of the presenting pharmacist.
“These are real stories,” Mrs. May added of the video aspect of the program. “One of the people featured is a pharmacist who did not recognize the addiction in their own child.”
Added EPPC coordinator Megan Elwell, the Pharmacists Teach program actually started with pharmacists going into high schools trying to educate students on the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
She continued, “They found a lot of times with teenagers, it starts in the home. They start with what they have access to like drugs in their grandparents’ medicine cabinets.”
Of the program in general, Miss Elwell added, “Before we decided to do this, CVS gave Joyce and I an abbreviated presentation and we both felt it was incredibly powerful and informative. We both left learning a ton.”
The administrators explained the Prescription for Parents discussion is the second in a series of programs to inform and increase the community’s understanding of the national and local opioid epidemic. A third presentation, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at Weaver at 6 p.m, is geared specifically for teens who can also earn community service from the library by their participation.
“The students felt like their parents didn’t know this information either, so they altered it to include a parents presentation,” Miss Elwell said. “They decided to target to each age group because they found it was better received.”
The community service element intrigued the administrators. Mrs. May credited the work of East Providence young adult librarian Lisa Perry for including it in the joint effort. She also noted the input of East Providence High School Student Assistant Counselor Jennifer McCalligett, who has worked with Ms. Perry in attempting to increase the number of students involved.
“Lisa had a brilliant idea. She is offering teens a lot of opportunities to do community service,” Mrs. May added. “And we would argue that teens becoming more aware about the dangers of prescription drugs and then going into the community to talk with other teens about it is a community service, so we’re giving them credit.”
The CVS Health program is being paid for through a $5,000 Community Overdose Engagement (CODE) grant the Libraries and the EPPC received this year from Governor Gina Raimondo's Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force.