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CAPTION: As sports rehabilitation centers are frequented by teens, the Madison Chatham Coalition and Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy students chose to visit Peak Physical Therapy, a new practice in Chatham Township, to help spread awareness about prescribing opioids and addiction prevention and treatment resources on Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day.

 

The Madison Chatham Coalition and Fairleigh Dickinson University Students Partnered for Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day 

(Madison, NJ) October 31, 2018-The Madison Chatham Coalition partnered with the Farleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy to spread awareness about prescribing opioids and addiction prevention and treatment resources within our communities as part of the Partnership for Drug-Free New Jersey's Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day initiative earlier this month.  

The groups distributed information about prescription drugs and the effects they have on teens when used incorrectly and for an extended period of time. Ten FDU pharmacy students visited doctors’ offices and physical therapy practices in Madison and Chatham armed with literature about the work of the Coalition and safe prescribing measures. They also visited places where teens are more likely to receive care—particularly sports rehabilitation practices including Peak in Chatham Township.  

“It was great to be a part of Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day,” said Peak Physical Therapy owner and physical therapist Karen Tom. “We were happy to join forces with the Madison Chatham Coalition and FDU pharmacy students to bring awareness to the opioid addiction epidemic that affects so many people.”    

About Partnership for Drug-Free NJ: 
The statewide single-day initiative, organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and The Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris, in cooperation with the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, mobilized the prevention and treatment communities, community leaders and concerned citizens to raise awareness of the potential for dependency on prescribed pain medicine and its link to heroin abuse rates in our state. Teams of volunteers across the state visited physician and dental offices, as well as homes in local communities, to distribute this vital information.

The Madison Chatham Coalition is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and is a collaborative partnership between the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. For more information about the coalition or to become a committee member, visit www.MadisonChathamCoalition.org or call 973-822-9622. 

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