Faculty in the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy received an almost $1.2 million grant from the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic in rural Georgia.
Jordan Khail
The two-year project will equip pharmacists in smaller communities with the tools, training and support necessary to provide life-saving resources, reduce stigma surrounding addiction and establish essential support networks for individuals at risk for overdose.
“Since 2000, opioid-related drug overdoses have taken the lives of more than 650,000 individuals in the U.S.,” said Jordan Khail, lead investigator of the pilot program and a lecturer in the college’s department of clinical and administrative pharmacy. “In Georgia, the effects of opioids are even more staggering.”
Opioid overdoses a leading cause of death for young Georgians
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported an increase of about 56% in drug overdose deaths from 2019 to 2021, making overdoses the leading cause of death among young Georgians.
Deaths from fentanyl use saw an increase of 218% in the same time period in the state. Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid often used to treat post-operative pain after surgeries.
However, the drug is increasingly being manufactured illegally and abused. It’s also highly addictive and about 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Fentanyl is now one of the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths.
Researchers to partner with local pharmacies to provide medication, educational resources
Khail and his team plan to partner with at least 50 rural community pharmacists to provide training, support and compensation for distribution of naloxone, a medication that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. The program will also educate and connect patients to local resources.
“At the heart of our plan is the belief that community pharmacists can be catalysts for change,” said Dawn Randolph, CEO of the Georgia Pharmacy Association and a collaborator on the project. “Through education and outreach, rural pharmacists can empower individuals struggling with addiction and their families by increasing their understanding of drug use, harm-reduction strategies and treatment options while connecting them to life-saving resources. It’s a real game changer for patients across the state.”
Additional colleagues from the College of Pharmacy working on the project include post-doctoral researcher Smita Rawal and professor Henry Young.