AAOA, NHMA Release Bilingual Toolkit Focused on Prescription Opioid Safety and Pain Management

Arlington, Va., December 8, 2020 – Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA) and the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) released a new suite of resources to help educate the Hispanic community about the rights, risks and responsibilities associated with prescription opioids. The toolkit was developed by an advisory committee of NHMA members and features resources available in both Spanish and English.

AAOA and NHMA’s partnership aims to increase awareness among Hispanics about prescription opioid safety, safe storage and disposal and alternative pain management options by providing resources for healthcare providers to easily share with their patients.

“The Hispanic community continues to be disproportionately affected by the prescription opioid epidemic,”said Elena Rios, MD, President and CEO of NHMA, a non-profit association representing the interests of 50,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States. “By offering these resources in Spanish as well as English, we hope to provide individuals with the tools necessary to safely navigate prescription opioids as one option for pain management.”

The AAOA-NHMA Toolkit underscores the impact that the prescription opioid abuse epidemic has had on Hispanic communities throughout the United States, offering actionable steps for individuals to understand how they can prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids.

The toolkit includes the following resources:

• Questions About Opioids?: A fact sheet answering common questions about prescription opioids, opioid use and how the opioid epidemic has impacted Hispanic communities in particular (available in Spanish);
• A Guide to Managing Pain After Surgery: A conversation guide to navigate discussions when talking to a healthcare provider about prescription opioids both before and after surgery (available in Spanish);
• Safe Storage and Disposal of Unused Prescription Opioids: A resource with information to help ensure opioids are safely stored at home as well as how to safely dispose of opioids after use (available in Spanish); and,
• “La prescripcion de opioides: lo que necesita saber”: An informational Spanish-language video providing key insights on safe prescription opioid use from NHMA physicians.

“More than 60 million Hispanics live in the United States, and AAOA is committed to providing them with credible resources available in both English and Spanish to help prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids in their communities,” said John Parker, Senior Vice President of Communications for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, the founding member of AAOA. “We are grateful for NHMA’s collaboration in developing this toolkit and encourage healthcare providers and community organizations to share the materials with consumers, patients and caregivers.”

The AAOA-NHMA Toolkit adds to AAOA’s  online resources, developed in partnership with healthcare stakeholders to help educate patients, providers, pharmacists and the public about the rights, risks and responsibilities related to prescription opioid use.

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 ADvancing States, 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 Consumers League, National Hispanic Medical 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.

About the National Hispanic Medical Association

Established in 1994 in Washington, DC, the National Hispanic Medical Association is a non-profit association representing the interests of 50,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States. NHMA’s vision is to be the national leader to improve the health of Hispanic populations. NHMA’s mission is to empower Hispanic physicians to lead efforts to improve the health of Hispanic and other underserved populations in collaboration with Hispanic state medical societies, residents, and medical students, and other public and private sector partners. To learn more about NHMA, please visit www. NHMAmd.org or follow us on Twitter: @NHMAmd.