title: Fighting Prescription Drug Abuse Through State Policy: The Role of Nursing in Successful Implementation.
abstract: Prescription drug abuse has become a top public health concern in the United States in recent years. Changes in prescribing practices and the way in which health providers manage pain resulted from national quality improvement efforts in the 1990s. Most efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the prescription drug abuse epidemic occur through policy initiatives at the state level. In 2011, Indiana ranked 17th in the United States and had only implemented a few intervention and prevention strategies. However, through a coordinated effort within the state, Indiana has expanded Good Samaritan laws and adopted rescue drug policies. Furthermore, the nursing workforce in Indiana has played a critical role in the successful implementation of these new policies. Nurses across the state have provided education and training to first responders and lay persons. They have also consulted with law enforcement agencies and other organizations looking to fully leverage the potential of these new state policies. Because of their versatility and clinical expertise, the nursing workforce has and will continue to play a critical role in the successful implementation of state policy initiatives aimed at fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Connor W. Norwood, MHA, Rizwana Biviji-Sharma, MS, Adam Knotts, MBA, Isaac Omenka, MS, and Cynthia Stone, DrPH, RN, Department of Health Policy and Management, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis. Connor W. Norwood, MHA, Health Workforce Studies, Department of Family Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis. Donna Purviance, DNP, AANC, FNP-BC, Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Connor W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Norwood
authors.forename: Rizwana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biviji-Sharma
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knotts
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Omenka
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Purviance
mesh_terms: D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse / Q000451:nursing*; D014481:United States