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Grants Totaling Nearly $210,000 Will Support Efforts to Educate Communities, Promote Awareness of Growing Epidemic

DUBLIN, Ohio, Aug. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Understanding the critical role grassroots education plays in the fight against prescription drug abuse, the Cardinal Health Foundation recently awarded nearly $210,000 in grant funding to 14 non-profit organizations that are dedicated to combating this growing public health epidemic.

Grant recipients were selected from five key communities where high concentrations of Cardinal Health employees live and work – Albuquerque, N.M.; central Ohio; El Paso, TX; LaVergne, Tenn.; and Radcliff, Ky. – and have been awarded funding in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.

This marks the second consecutive year that the Cardinal Heath Foundation has offered this funding through its "Preventing the Abuse and Misuse of Prescription Drugs" grant program. While all 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations are eligible to apply, priority consideration is given to programs that are specifically focused on increasing awareness of the dangers of misusing and abusing prescription medications; and to those that educate communities about the proper use and disposal of prescription drugs.

"Our goal is to stop prescription drug abuse before it starts – and that begins with education," said Jessica Lineberger, community relations manager for Cardinal Health.  "We launched this grant program because we believe that local non-profit organizations can play a critical role in ensuring their communities understand that prescription drug abuse can have damaging and deadly consequences."

Preventing prescription drug abuse is one of the key strategic priorities of the Cardinal Health Foundation.  In 2009, the Cardinal Health Foundation teamed up with The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy to develop two GenerationRx toolkits: comprehensive suites of materials designed to help health care providers, pharmacists, parents, teachers and other concerned citizens educate teen and adult audiences about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. These materials can be downloaded free of charge at www.CardinalHealth.com/GenerationRx.  

In partnership with The Ohio State University College of Social Work, the Cardinal Health Foundation also developed a comprehensive survey to track the effectiveness of GenerationRx materials in changing attitudes about prescription drug abuse.

During a pilot test of the survey, nearly 90 percent of adult and teen respondents who had attended a GenerationRx presentation indicated that they would be less likely to use prescription drugs that are not prescribed to them.  The same percentage of respondents reported they would be less likely to share prescription drugs.

Recipients of the "Preventing the Abuse and Misuse of Prescription Drugs" grant program will use this survey tool to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.

2011 recipients of funding from the "Preventing the Abuse and Misuse of Prescription Drugs" grant program include:

• New Mexico Medical Review Association (NMMRA) – Albuquerque, NM
• University of New Mexico Foundation Incorporated – Albuquerque, NM
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Ohio – Columbus, Ohio
• Drug-Free Action Alliance – Columbus, Ohio
• Respite Connections – Columbus, Ohio
• St. Stephen's Community House – Columbus, Ohio
• Youth to Youth/COMFDRUG – Columbus, Ohio
• The Ohio State University College of Social Work – Columbus, Ohio
• The Ohio State University Student Wellness Center – Columbus, Ohio
• Dublin Counseling Center – Dublin, Ohio
• Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso – El Paso, Texas
• Young Men's Christian Association of El Paso – El Paso, Texas
• Rutherford-Cannon County Drug Court Support Foundation – LaVergne, Tenn.
• United States Internet Crime Task Force – Radcliff, Ky.

About the Cardinal Health Foundation
The Cardinal Health Foundation supports local, national and international programs that improve health care quality and build healthy communities. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to encourage employee service to the community and works through international agencies to donate much-needed medical supplies and funding to those who need them in times of disaster. To learn more, visit cardinalhealth.com/community or visit us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CardinalHealthFoundation.

SOURCE: Cardinal Health