Columbus, OH – Generation Rx has released the latest free online medication safety resources, Generation Rx University, which is an update to the popular college materials created by college students, for college students, to help prevent prescription drug misuse on college campuses. These materials are designed for use in courses, student orientation, residence halls, Greek life, recreational sports, student organizations, or any other venue where college students live and learn.
“Generation Rx University has been updated to provide a new look and student experience, with emphases on general safe medication practices, as well as educational materials targeted specifically at opioids and prescription stimulants,” said Molly Downing, PhD, the lead author of the updated materials. “Our goal is to instill ‘safe medication practices for life’ to all young adults.”
Prescription medications can help us live longer and healthier lives, but any medication has the potential to do harm— especially when misused. The misuse of prescription medications is one of our country’s most pressing public health problems, with drug overdose being our leading cause of accidental death1. Young adults may misuse prescription medications to manage their lives, with little understanding of the potential social, physical, academic, financial and legal consequences of doing so. While the majority of college students do not misuse prescription medications, research indicates the average age of first misuse falls within the young adult years2. As a result, now is the time to cultivate a campus environment for the safe use of medications.
“Promoting medication safety education is essential, and thanks to Generation Rx University, students on college campuses across the country are not only learning about the dangers of misusing prescription medications, they’re taking action,” said Betsy Walker, director of Community Relations at Cardinal Health and co-director of Generation Rx. “With Generation Rx University, we see students inspired and empowered to spread the Generation Rx message to their peers and in their communities.”
Generation Rx University offers a variety of free materials including interactive games with facilitator talking points, skit-based activities, videos and visual aids to promote safe medication practices and help prevent prescription medication misuse on college campuses.
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About Generation Rx
The mission of Generation Rx is to educate people of all ages about the potential dangers of misusing prescription medications. In doing so, we strive to enhance medication safety among our youth, college students, other adults in our communities, and seniors.
The College of Pharmacy at The Ohio State University and the Cardinal Health Foundation have partnered to provide open source educational materials that anyone can use to help prevent the misuse of prescription drugs. These ready-to-use resources are designed to provide everything you need to make a presentation or offer a program in your community, school or college.
Learn more at GenerationRx.org.
- Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final data for 2014. National vital statistics reports; vol 65 no 4. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2016.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-48, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4863. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/
