Message from Sarah Ermer, Pharmacy Fellow Associate and resident in Palliative Care and Pain Management in the College of Pharmacy:

Overdose death is preventable.

It is our responsibility to raise awareness of overdose, reduce the stigma of a drug-related death, acknowledge grief felt by families and friends, and remember those who have died as a result of drug overdose.

In the United States, opioids were involved in approximately 70% of drug overdose deaths during 2018.

What can health care providers do?

• Check the Iowa Prescription Drug Monitoring Program for prescription history.
• Share information with patients about free Naloxone access in Iowa.
• Visit OverdoseDay.com for more information

Additional patient and provider resources: National Safety Council Information, CDC Drug Overdose