Katie McNeil, PharmD, is a pharmacist at Albertsons Market Pharmacy in Albuquerque, NM, and Maria Ybarguengoitia Aguero is a final-year PharmD candidate, at The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy.
Receiving the 2022–2023 APhA–ASP Operation Substance Use Disorders National Award at the 2024 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando this past March was a huge accomplishment for The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy APhA–ASP Chapter. It was also the best way to highlight the involvement of our student pharmacists and the passion that we both had as chairs of this initiative.
Having personal connections to this initiative and seeing how many of our chapter members also had connections to this space inspired us to help make a difference in our community in a way that has never been done before at our chapter.
Addressing health care gaps
Our team aimed to address the issues of substance abuse by educating students at local middle schools and high schools on the dangers of illicit and prescription drug abuse, along with some resources to help anybody who may be affected. When developing this campaign, our priority was to reach a diverse audience. To ensure this, we created presentations and brochures in both English and Spanish.
Through this approach, we were able to reach a larger population and cater to the needs of various communities, acknowledging that language and communication play a critical role in effective education.
Education on fentanyl
Our chapter launched a new harm reduction initiative focused on fentanyl education for the community. We strived to educate individuals regardless of their age and educational background on the dangers of fentanyl and the importance of harm reduction strategies, such as fentanyl test strips to avoid accidental overdose. We offered education and resources at a variety of tabling events ranging from local festivals to health fairs. However, most of our education focused on delivering presentations at different middle schools and high schools around the state as mentioned above.
In addition to this, we presented to the University of New Mexico undergraduate students as well as during the New Mexico Pharmacists Association Mid-Winter Meeting, educating pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians across the state. In total, we reached close to 3,000 individuals in the community with our education efforts.
Active student participation
One key element of our success this past year lies in the active involvement of our dedicated APhA–ASP members. After our first few events, along with the kickoff of our new harm reduction education campaign involving Narcan and fentanyl test strips, chapter members were able to see what a difference our education was making in the community, thus motivating them to start participating in our campaign as well. Their commitment and drive were essential in the enormous impact that Operation Substance Use Disorders has been able to make in our community.