Opioid Safety Resource Center

Opioid abuse is an ongoing epidemic that affects millions of people across all walks of life. In some cases, these prescribed medications may be the best treatment option for patients experiencing severe pain; however, their misuse can lead to opioid dependence and other serious, potentially deadly, health problems.
More than 81,000 opioid-related drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest ever recorded according to the CDC, and the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the problem. Social distancing, limited interactions with family, isolation, job loss, financial strain, anxiety, and stress have made it much more difficult for those struggling with substance use disorder to manage their addiction. These challenging times are taking their toll on vulnerable populations and intervention is imperative.
This resource center is dedicated to helping you educate yourself and your team on how to provide opioid support at your pharmacy. Community-level engagement is essential to the safe, effective use of prescribed opioid medications, and we believe that independent pharmacies are second to none when it comes to providing that kind of high-touch, compassionate care.
Trainings
The Good Neighbor Pharmacy team continually assesses third-party trainings on opioid safety and will update this section periodically with the latest education opportunities relevant to independent pharmacists. While we make every effort to review the quality of the trainings displayed here, please note that these links below are for external websites not affiliated with AmerisourceBergen. Good Neighbor Pharmacy and AmerisourceBergen make no representations about the accuracy or validity of these trainings and are not involved in, or responsible for, the creation or hosting of this content. When you click on a training below, a trusted third-party website will open in a new window for you to complete the training there.
Featured training
Pathways to Safer Opioid Use
This interactive training leverages engaging storylines and high production value to promote the appropriate, safe, and effective use of opioids to manage chronic pain. It’s based on the opioid-related recommendations in the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention (ADE Action Plan). By taking this course, you'll learn how to:
- Apply health literacy strategies to help patients understand how to prevent opioid-related adverse drug events (ADEs)
- Identify risk factors, opioid medications, and interactions that increase people’s risk for opioid-related ADEs
- Use a multidisciplinary, team-based approach for treating patients with chronic pain
- Combine the principles of the Health Literate Care Model and the biopsychosocial model of chronic pain management through case study examples
Resources
Peer Recovery Center of Excellence
Watch this helpful series of explainer videos to gain a stronger understanding of topics that are foundational to the recovery community, including recovery community organizations, peer support, recovery capital, and recovery-oriented systems of care. You can use these videos to help you develop a more holistic approach to caring for patients who are struggling with addiction.
Clicks to access: 1
Login requirements: None
Allied Against Opioid Abuse (AAOA) Pharmacy Toolkit
Access a comprehensive toolkit that contains dozens of resources to help you engage in important conversations with your patients and healthcare provider colleagues about prescription opioids and how you can work together to prevent opioid abuse and misuse.
Clicks to access: 1
Login requirements: None
Opioid Awareness and "SBIRT" Protocol Podcast
Hear Andrew Peterson, Executive Director, Substance Use Disorders Institute, and George Downs, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, from the University of the Sciences dive deep into identifying and treating patients, motivational interviewing techniques, and behavioral change modeling, as well as strategies and techniques like the “SBIRT” protocol for addiction prevention.
Clicks to access: 1
Login requirements: None
Patient-facing education resources




