PRESCRIPTION: INTERVENTION--A COALITION PLANNING TOOL FOR PAINKILLER MISUSE

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Prescription opioid misuse/abuse is a growing national issue (ONDCP, 2008a; SAMHSA, 2007a) that requires immediate, targeted intervention. Typical approaches include various types of global prevention and education strategies (e.g., advertising, reports, websites) to assist professionals and at-risk populations. These approaches are not targeted to the local climate (e.g., needs, readiness for intervention). It is necessary to address educational and prevention messages in a way that local communities can come to a consensus to set goals and respond effectively to prescription opioid misuse/abuse. Community anti-drug coalitions offer a potential avenue for such intervention due to their understanding of local needs, links to the community, and knowledge of local drug prevention resources. The proposed online program, CAP: The Coalition Action Planner, would help anti-drug coalitions by providing: (1) an automated online survey to assess coalition members' perception of the local climate for public health change; (2) a tailored report that review strategies based on community readiness; (3) Strategy Briefs and an interactive Strategy Finder that help communities identify methods for dealing with prescription drug abuse at a local level; and (4) resources such as a Prescription Drug Index, Ask the Expert, and a community message board. Maintenance of this product will be supported by pharmaceutical company sponsorships and will be available for free to coalitions. Although this application focuses on the prescription opioid problem, the long-term vision for this program is a coalition planning tool to help coalitions efficiently and effectively respond to any emerging drug problem. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Prescription pain reliever misuse and abuse is a growing national issue that requires immediate, targeted intervention. Community anti-drug coalitions know about both local needs and resources; therefore, we propose to test the feasibility of a new online program: CAP: The Coalition Action Planner. CAP would help coalitions by providing a) an online survey to assess community willingness to participate in prescription pain reliever prevention and intervention and b) survey feedback and related tools to help coalitions mobilize communities towards action in a timely and effective manner