Opioid Prevention Toolkit

OPIOID & HEROIN AWARENESS TOOLKIT A Prevention Guide for Families

Access to Medication Questions to ask your physician before filling a prescription... • What are some alternatives for pain management? • Can you prescribe a non-opioid pain medication? • If my child must take opioids for pain relief, how can I minimize risks of dependency? • If you must prescribe an opioid, may I limit the quantities?

What Are Your Kids Being Prescribed? Think before you fill and give a pain prescription to your child. Do they really need such a strong medication or will something else do? Pain medications like Vicodin, Oxycontin and other versions are super strong. . They are being prescribed large quantities of very strong medications for things such as simple sports injuries and dental procedures. Be an advocate while you can and look into all options. Pain is no fun, but it’s better than starting an addiction in your child. Our area has a great need for addiction treatment programs based on the number of people affected by opioids and the distance residents must travel for help. A service expansion has been funded through the federal State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Considered a high-need area both Fond du Lac and Dodge counties are included. Visit the CDC to learn more about your options for opioid treatments and chronic pain at: www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/patients

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) , found that differences in county prescription rates depend in part on the number of medical providers in the area and their prescribing patterns, according to Vital Signs . Examining the role of prescribers has increased in recent years as healthcare experts look for ways to stem the tide of opioid addiction. But while fewer new prescriptions are being written, existing patients are receiving larger doses and for longer periods of time, factors that doctors said contribute to persistent addiction levels. A separate report found the diagnosis of opioid-use disorders spiked nearly 500 percent between 2010 and 2016, according to an analysis of 30 million members of the Blue Cross Blue Shield system, a network of three dozen independent insurance companies. July, 2017

Additional Resource from SAMHSA: Medications: Which Approach is Right for You?

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CISM