Advocacy
The Georgia Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative (GPDAPI) is committed to being a catalyst for advocacy in terms of policy education (not lobbying) about legislative efforts and in terms of the implementation of any current laws that seek to protect Georgia’s citizens from prescription drug misuse and abuse. Please find information below that addresses current policy education opportunities involving legislation related to prescription drug abuse prevention. To learn helpful tips and information on how to communicate with the Georgia General Assembly please Click Here.
2016 Georgia General Assembly Legislative Session
In 2016 HB 900 overwhelmingly passed both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly. HB 900 improved Georgia’s PDMP is several ways: Please Click Here for a copy of the bill.
Allows for prescribers and dispensers to have “delegates,” authorized persons in the doctor’s office or the pharmacy that can assist the doctor or pharmacist with PDMP data entry and with checking the PDMP before prescribing or dispensing.
Allows for greater access for the purposes of research, grant proposal opportunities, and Rx drug abuse prevention education.
Allows for greater access for law enforcement.
Monitoring (PDMP)
The Georgia Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative (GPDAPI) is committed to being a catalyst for the implementation of Georgia’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) and the Patient Safety Act.
Georgia’s Patient Safety Act of 2011/PDMP
In May of 2011 Governor Nathan Deal signed into law the Patient Safety Act, making Georgia one of the last states in the nation to provide legislation for the implementation of a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to combat the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. To read the entire bill as passed please Click Here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20112012/116656.pdf for a quick view of a pdf version of the Patient Safety Act
Watch a video of then Georgia Senator and now US Congressman Buddy Carter explaining the Patient Safety Act.
To read Congressman Buddy Carter’s article explaining the Patient Safety Act click here: http://www.bryancountynews.com/archives/13387/
Prescription Drug Abuse: Strategies To Stop The Epidemic 2013
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. In October of 2013 TFAH released a 55 page report entitled, Prescription Drug Abuse: Strategies To Stop The Epidemic 2013, which you can access by Clicking Here or you can click on this link http://healthyamericans.org/reports/drugabuse2013/TFAH2013RxDrugAbuseRpt12_no_embargo.pdf to read the full report. The report begins by emphasizing the use of PDMPs and increased legislation and concludes with the need to expand programs to enable proper disposal. The report also talks about the need for increased provide and public education efforts as well as the need for increased rescue medicine availability.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Monthly Reports
To view the DPH’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Monthly Reports click here or click on this link; https://dph.georgia.gov/prescription-drug-monitoring-program-pdmp-monthly-reports.
Department of Public Health Drug Surveillance Unit Reports
Opioid-involved Overdose Surveillance in Georgia
Opioid-involved overdose deaths have been rapidly increasing in Georgia since 2010, driven largely by increased use and misuse of prescription opioids (e.g., Oxycodone and Hydrocodone). Beginning in 2013, illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl drove the sharp increase in opioid-involved overdose deaths.
The Drug Surveillance Unit monitors overdose trends in Georgia, and provides overdose data to the public and to partners working to end the opioid epidemic. This data is also used to detect and respond to rapid increases, or clusters, of overdoses, such as the Counterfeit Percocet-Related Overdose Cluster in Macon during June 2017.
For Health Alerts, Georgia Opioid Overdose Annual Surveillance Data, Syndromic Surveillance Data, State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System Data, Perscription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Data, Online Interactive Data, Georgia Publications, Other Opioid and Substance Misuse Surveillance Resources, and Addiction and Overdose Resources Click Here.