Pharmaceutical Drugs and Your Community overview
Pharmaceutical Drugs and Your Community refers to programs and activities aimed at raising awareness of the risks associated with certain prescription medications. LDATs can access the full version of the toolkits through the Community Action Plan platform LOG IN link (top right).
The inappropriate use of certain pharmaceutical drugs (with and without a prescription) is a major public health concern and can result in considerable harm to physical and mental health, including overdose and death.
Harm from pharmaceutical drug use is more common among people struggling with complex health needs or mental health issues, such as chronic pain, anxiety/depression or insomnia.
Common pharmaceuticals of concern include opioids (oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine, and codeine) and benzodiazepines (valium, xanax, temazepam), and can also include analgesics, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, as well as anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and performance and image enhancing drugs.
LDATs can work with communities to promote the safer use of medicines, increase awareness of alternative therapies with less negative side-effects and encourage people who may be experiencing issues with pharmaceutical use to seek help.
Although pharmaceutical drugs tend to occupy a larger place in the lives of older adults, harms occur in all age groups and this toolkit can be used to target different ages.
Toolkit includes:
- Key points for LDATs
- Drawing on existing programs
- Guiding principles
- Considerations for planning and delivery
- Delivering Pharmaceutical Drugs and Your Community: key activity and measuring success
- Delivering Pharmaceutical Drugs and Your Community: key steps
