Gil Kerlikowske, Director of ONDCP, to Speak on the National Drug Plan to Combat Prescription Drug Abuse at the NABP 108th Annual Meeting

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^® (NABP^®) is pleased to welcome Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as a speaker at its 108^th Annual Meeting. Kerlikowske will discuss how the prescription drug abuse epidemic is affecting the people of the United States and what the federal government is doing to fight this threat to public health. The session, “ONDCP – National Drug Plan to Combat Prescription Drug Abuse,” is a pre-meeting continuing pharmacy education (CPE) offering that will take place on Saturday, May 19, 2012, from 2 to 4 PM.

During the session, Kerlikowske will update attendees on the progress of the national action plan to fight prescription drug abuse that was released in April 2011. This plan, called the National Drug Control Strategy, is a collaborative effort between ONDCP, Food and Drug Administration, and Drug Enforcement Administration and urges prescriber education on opioid risks and benefits, recommends prescription monitoring programs for all states, and suggests easier ways to dispose of unwanted or unused drugs in the home. Additionally, the agencies are calling for new laws related to these recommendations. Kerlikowske will also explain how ONDCP coordinates all aspects of federal drug control programs.

This pre-meeting CPE session, sponsored by CVS Caremark, is just one of the many CPE opportunities offered at the NABP 108^th Annual Meeting, which will be held May 19-22, 2012, at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. More information about the 108^th Annual Meeting, including full descriptions on all CPE sessions, may be found in the Meetings section of the NABP Web site at www.nabp.net/meetings.

NABP and the NABP Foundation is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE Provider Number: 205. Participants may earn ACPE-accredited continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit by completing a Statement of Continuing Pharmacy Education Participation and submitting it to NABP. Full attendance and completion of the program evaluation and learning assessment for each session are required to receive CPE credit and a Statement of Continuing Pharmacy Education Credit.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Policy: NABP staff will be available to assist attendees on an individual basis to apply for CLE credit for attending CPE sessions. To apply for CLE credit, attendees must initiate the program approval process in their own states by completing and submitting the appropriate application materials and forms. NABP will provide documentation as necessary.

NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.