— 80 percent of students in Purdue Pharma’s sponsored regions reported they felt prepared to avoid prescription drug misuse after completing the course
— In response to an increase in distance learning, Prescription Drug Safety course is now available outside of school settings
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Purdue Pharma L.P. (“Purdue”), a founding member of the Prescription Drug Safety Network (“the Network”), commends EVERFI for its efforts in reaching more than 780,000 studentsi across the country with its Prescription Drug Safety course since the program’s inception in 2017.
During the 2019-2020 academic year, the Network reached more than 400,000 students across the U.S.i Nationwide, students who completed the course demonstrated an average 48 percent increase in knowledge gain across all six areas of learning, including the science of addiction, understanding prescriptions, safe use, supporting a friend and refusal skills.i Most students who participated in the course were in the ninth grade (55 percent), with students in grades 10-12 comprising 35 percent of participants and students in middle school comprising 10 percent of participants.i
The evidence-based Prescription Drug Safety curriculum provides students with information about three classes of prescription medicines (opioids, stimulants and central nervous system depressants), including proper use and disposal, and includes interactive scenarios that help guide individual learning on potential situations involving misuse. The Prescription Drug Safety course is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Education Standards and state academic standards.
During the spring of 2020, pandemic-related school closures affected more than 55 million students nationwide.i In response, EVERFI opened its catalog of online educational content for students and parents to access directly. These engaging digital education programs are typically available only through schools but were made available to allow students to continue learning at home. A comprehensive offering of EVERFI’s digital education programs, including its Prescription Drug Safety course, are now available through EVERFI’s Teacher and Family portals.
“The Network’s ongoing efforts to deliver engaging and evidence-based education is a critically important step in helping to support future generations to avoid prescription drug misuse,” said Craig Landau, MD, president and CEO, Purdue Pharma. “Speaking as a parent, I believe that the course features realistic scenarios that students find relatable. As a pharmaceutical executive, the Network’s work is important to us, and that’s why we have continually expanded our support for this program and, more recently partnered with the Network to develop new learning modules to support patients and families who are prescribed the type of medications we manufacture.”
Last month, Adlon Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Purdue, and the Network introduced new interactive videos and a digital course designed to encourage education about the responsible use of prescription stimulant medications for people diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their parents and caregivers.
“The misuse of prescription drugs continues to be a problem that we as a society cannot ignore,” said Jon Chapman, president and co-founder, EVERFI. “According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, misuse of prescription drugs is highest among young adults ages 18 to 25, which makes the delivery of prescription drug safety education to high school students all the more important. If we can reach these youth and educate them on the proper way to handle prescription drugs before a pattern of misuse develops, it will have a greater impact on society as a whole.”
Regions Sponsored by Purdue
Purdue and its subsidiaries Adlon Therapeutics, Rhodes Pharma and Rhodes Tech (referred to below as “Purdue-sponsored regions”) sponsored the Prescription Drug Safety course in seven states during the 2019-2020 academic year. The total reach across Purdue-sponsored regions included more than 38,500 students in 453 schools.i After taking the course, students demonstrated an average 40 percent knowledge increase across the following learning modules: Science of addiction, understanding prescriptions, safe use, supporting a friend and refusal skills based on pre-post testing.i
Among students who completed the course in Purdue-sponsored regions this past year, there was a 52-point increase in response to the “Supporting a Friend” module; 90 percent of students felt confident in ways to help a friend who may be misusing prescription medications (up from 38 percent pre-course).i
Of the 13,750 students who completed the post-course survey in Purdue-sponsored regions, more than 80 percent said they believe sharing medication may cause harm and that they would be able to avoid misusing prescription drugs if offered.i
Additionally, more than 70 percent of participants who completed the post-course survey in Purdue-sponsored regions agreed that the course:
- Increased their understanding of the consequences of sharing, selling and non-medical use of prescription drugs,
- Helped them identify signs of prescription drug misuse,
- Increased their confidence to intervene if they believe a friend may be misusing prescription drugs,
- Helped them understand various ways to refuse to participate in the misuse of prescription drugs,
- Taught them where to find resources about prescription drug misuse, and
- Provided information about prescription drug misuse that they would not have seen elsewhere. i
Purdue joined the Network in 2017 with an initial commitment to support EVERFI’s efforts to increase course accessibility and utilization in five areas: California (Sacramento and surrounding communities), Connecticut (New Haven and surrounding communities), Ohio (Columbus and surrounding communities), eastern Tennessee and southeastern West Virginia. In 2018, Purdue expanded its commitment to include the entire state of Connecticut, and in 2019 to include a second sponsored geography in Tennessee. Adlon Therapeutics, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals and Rhodes Tech began supporting EVERFI’s work in South Carolina, parts of North Carolina and all of Rhode Island in 2019.
About EVERFI’s Evidence-Based, Population-Level Approach
Grounded in behavior change theory and the incorporation of evidence-based practices, the Prescription Drug Safety curriculum utilizes social norms theory to engage the healthy majority of students who do not misuse or abuse prescription drugs and challenge misperceptions about the prevalence and social acceptance of prescription drug misuse and abuse. Bystander intervention strategies are incorporated to help students recognize the signs of prescription drug misuse and abuse and build self-efficacy to assist someone who may be struggling with such issues. Interactive scenarios and self-guided activities help students practice healthy decision-making in a safe virtual environment. The curriculum also includes teacher-guided classroom interaction to socialize and solidify the learning experience. The course is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Education Standards and state academic standards.
About the Methodology
The data presented in this release includes results from in-course assessments used to measure students’ knowledge and pre- and post-course surveys to measure their attitudes and behaviors on prescription drug use. For the Purdue-sponsored regions, 38,500 students in 453 schools completed the Prescription Drug Safety course during the 2019-2020 academic year. Attitude and behavior survey results for the Purdue-sponsored regions include 24,527 pre-course responses and 13,750 post-course responses.i
About EVERFI, Inc.
EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 41 million learners globally. Recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2020, EVERFI powers community engagement in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together financial institutions, colleges and universities, and some of the largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive impact. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, as well as Advance, Rethink Education, Rethink Impact, The Rise Fund and TPG Growth.
About Purdue Pharma L.P.
Purdue Pharma and its subsidiaries develop and provide prescription medicines and consumer products that meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals, patients, consumers and caregivers. We were founded by physicians and are currently led by a physician. Beyond our efforts to provide quality medications, Purdue Pharma is committed to supporting national, regional and local collaborations to drive innovations in patient care while also continuing our efforts to address the opioid addiction crisis.
Purdue’s subsidiaries include: Adlon Therapeutics L.P., focused on treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and related disorders; Avrio Health L.P., a consumer health products company that champions an improved quality of life for people in the United States through the reimagining of innovative product solutions; Imbrium Therapeutics L.P., established to further advance the emerging portfolio and develop the pipeline in the areas of CNS, non-opioid pain medicines, and select oncology through internal research, strategic collaborations and partnerships; and Greenfield Bioventures L.P., an investment vehicle focused on value-inflection in early stages of clinical development.
For more information, visit www.purduepharma.com.
References:
i Prescription Drug Safety Network. 2019-2020 Program Impact Report for Purdue. Available upon Request.
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