PMH58 - A Community-Wide Education Program on Drug Addiction: Stakeholder Knowledge, Beliefs, and Opportunities for Interprofessional Collaboration

Abstract

Few studies have focused on interdisciplinary efforts to prevent drug misuse and overdose across health systems and communities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to increase health professionals’ and community stakeholders’ knowledge about drug and opioid abuse and ability to collaborate interprofessionally. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was employed using mixed-methods. Prescribers, pharmacists, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and community members in Alabama were recruited for a day-long, in-person drug addiction and abuse education program via email and online advertisements. Outcomes were measured via online surveys at baseline and post-training. Primary outcome measures included: 1) change in knowledge score (percent correct on a 9-item scale); 2) beliefs regarding the most effective way to address Alabama’s drug abuse problem; and 3) opportunities for interprofessional collaboration. Participants were matched pre and post-training and changes in knowledge score were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed Rank test. Beliefs about effective solutions and interprofessional collaboration were measured via free-response at post-training and analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. A total of 838 people attended the education program, most of whom were pharmacists (42.3%) and nurses/physicians (20.2%). Survey completion rates were high at baseline (65.87%, n=552) and post-training (76.61%, n=642). Mean overall knowledge score increased by 20.7% (p <0.0001) from baseline to post-training. The most frequently discussed ways to address Alabama’s drug abuse problem were education of the public/community (n=121, 22.4%) and seeking/prescribing non-opioid treatments for pain (n=120, 22.3%). Most frequently discussed methods for interprofessional collaboration included more joint educational events (n=221, 41.1%) and improved communication channels between health professionals, law enforcement, and state Boards of Medicine/Pharmacy (n=212, 39.4%). This interprofessional education program was effective at increasing participants’ knowledge about drug abuse in Alabama. Key stakeholders supported future studies aimed at improving communication modalities between health professionals, law enforcement, and regulatory agencies.