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ARLINGTON, Va., September 4, 2019 – Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA), in partnership with the PA (Physician Assistant) Foundation, released two new videos featuring a team of PAs from the Cleveland Clinic to educate patients and caregivers about prescription opioid safety. The videos underscore the importance of having open and honest conversations between patients and their healthcare providers to discuss expectations around managing pain.
“As healthcare providers, we have a responsibility to talk with our patients about treatment options for managing pain,” Josanne Pagel, MPAS, PA-C, KARUNA RMT, Executive Director of PA Services at the Cleveland Clinic Health System. “It is equally important for patients and their caregivers to understand the rights, risks and responsibilities associated with prescription opioid medications and to feel comfortable talking with their provider about these pain medicines as a potential part of their treatment plan.”
The first video, “Questions to Ask Your Provider: Pain Management and Prescription Opioids,” addresses the three questions patients should ask their healthcare provider when discussing pain management treatment:
The second video, “Things You Need to Know About Prescription Opioids,” provides patients and caregivers with important reminders for when an opioid is prescribed, including:
“An important part of stemming the tide of the prescription opioid abuse epidemic is continually reinforcing, through patient education, the importance of safe use, storage and disposal of these pain medicines,” said Lynette Sappe-Watkins, Executive Director of the PA Foundation.“Our partnership with AAOA and the Cleveland Clinic on these videos focuses on important exam room or hospital discharge conversations patients and caregivers should have with their providers. Our goal is to help prepare them to talk with their provider about managing their pain, and if opioids are prescribed, to understand the proper use, potential side effects and risks of the medicine as prescribed.”
AAOA and the PA Foundation have also partnered on the national Pledge to Pause initiative, which reminds PAs and PA students about the importance of engaging with and educating their patients every time an opioid is prescribed. Additionally, AAOA and a team of physicians at The Johns Hopkins Hospital released an educational video last year to help patients prepare for and manage post-surgery pain.
More information about AAOA’s activities and patient resources is available at www.AgainstOpioidAbuse.org/Act.
For press inquiries, contact press@againstopioidabuse.org.
About Allied Against Opioid Abuse
Allied Against Opioid Abuse is a national education and awareness initiative to help prevent abuse and misuse of prescription opioids. Founded by the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, the initiative is a collaborative effort with diverse partners across the pharmaceutical supply chain, as well as organizations that are experts in public health and healthcare, including Alliance for Aging Research, American Pharmacists Association, American Physical Therapy Association, BeMedWise, Caregiver Action Network, Gerontological Society of America, Healthcare Leadership Council, HealthyWomen, Men’s Health Network, Mental Health America, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration, National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities, National Community Pharmacists Association, National Transitions of Care Coalition, Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, and the PA Foundation. Our goal is to contribute to solving the opioid crisis in a meaningful way by educating patients about their rights, risks and responsibilities. To learn more, visit www.AgainstOpioidAbuse.org or follow us on Twitter: @AAOA_Tweets.