Presenter(s): Jennie Jarrett, PharmD, BCPS, MMedEd, FCCP and Abigail Elmes, PharmD, BCPS
Target Audience: This webinar is designed for nurses, physicians, social workers, and home health workers or care coordinators. The enduring material is accredited for physicians, nurses, PAs, social workers, pharmacists and other health professionals or learners.
Webinar Description:
Older adults are often overlooked in public health efforts to address the U.S. opioid epidemic. Yet, in 2018, approximately one quarter of older adults 65 years old and older were prescribed an opioid to treat pain, and were nearly 3 times more likely than younger populations between 20 and 24 years old. As we age, we are more likely to experience chronic pain at a greater severity as well as opioid-related adverse effects like confusion, falls, overdose, and death.
Patient education is key to reducing opioid-related harm. Many healthcare professionals and those that directly interact with older adults have a unique opportunity to educate patients on opioid risks and naloxone benefits. The goal of this webinar is to prepare home health workers to implement and improve overall patient access to harm reduction strategies, specifically naloxone. This activity will highlight the opioid epidemic and the mechanism of action and risks of opioids, particularly in older adults, and will discuss common misconceptions related to naloxone including side effects when administered to someone not overdosing from opioids, legal ramifications of administering naloxone to a stranger, and insurance coverage when accessing naloxone at the pharmacy.
Educational Objectives:
- Discuss the risks associated with opioid use, particularly in older adults
- Describe how to recognize an opioid-related overdose
- Explain how to access and use naloxone for the reversal of opioid overdoses
Support for the Program:
Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 1H79TI081968 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.