The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47903

Jerri L. Shaw, MRP¹, Lee Wilson, MA², Judy Donovan¹, Stephenie Colston, MA¹, Lynne C. McArthur, MA, AMLS³, and Robert Clinkscale, MPH, MBA³. (1) Johnson, Bassin & Shaw, Inc., 8630 Fenton Street, 12th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 3014951080, JSHAW@JBS1.COM, (2) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockwall II, Room 930, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (3) Johnson, Bassin & Shaw, Inc, 8630 Fenton Street 12th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Substance abuse among older adults is a silent epidemic that will have increasingly severe consequences as the age pyramid shifts. In 2001, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention launched an initiative to design a research-based policy framework, build prevention strategies, and create new partnerships among resource groups. Our research with the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (1997-2000) profiles the older adults at highest risk for misuse and abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications; and related health and cost consequences. The policy framework links risk and protective factors with promising prevention strategies. The field work highlights collaboration successes and issues in four states where the state substance abuse agency, state mental health agency, state aging agency, and Medicare peer review organization are forming partnerships for the first time. The partnerships are designed to share and focus resources on reducing the risk of substance abuse among older adults, increasing protective factors, and accelerating adoption of new strategies and innovations. Each state’s differing characteristics (such as access to highest risk groups, substance abuse patterns, managed care coverage) are shaping different partnership models and prevention strategies.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare models for state agency partnerships and explore applicability to one's own state.
• Identify highest risk groups of older adults and key risk and protective factors for prescription drug abuse.
• Identify ways to stimulate new policy and programmatic partnerships.

Keywords: Aging, Prescription Drug Use Patterns

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: President of company; co-directing policy and demonstration program development