The PA Foundation has joined with other healthcare organizations in Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA), a partner-based educational initiative to prevent prescription opioid abuse and misuse. AAOA aims to arm healthcare providers, patients and their families with resources to help prevent old or unused prescriptions from ending up in the wrong hands.
As the country looks to reverse the harmful trend of opioid addiction, the importance of engaging patients, raising awareness about the risks of opioid abuse and educating about safe use is critical. The PA Foundation and AAOA are working together to engage and mobilize PA students around this important issue. The “Pledge to Pause Before You Prescribe” represents a commitment to educating patients about the risks and responsibilities of prescription opioids before writing a prescription. As future prescribers, PA students can take the pledge to pause and talk to their future patients about the risks inherent in opioid medications as well as safe use, storage, and disposal of medications in an effort to prevent misuse and abuse.
AAOA/Pledge to Pause Resources
Patient Resources
- Rights, Risks and Responsibilities
- Safe Storage of Prescription Opioids
- Safely Disposing of Unused Opioids
- 10 Things You Need to Know About Safe Disposal of Prescription Opioids and Other Medications