NEWS ADVISORY
What: The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) and Utah Pharmacy Association will host a press conference to encourage Utahns to talk to their pharmacists about the dangers of prescription opioids and the use of naloxone.
Why: From 2002 to 2015, there was a 29.4 percent increase in the rate of prescription opioids dispensed, equating to nine opioid prescriptions for every 10 Utahns. Given that every month in Utah, 24 individuals (includes both residents and non-residents) die from prescription opioid overdoses, understanding the risk of opioids is vital to patient safety. Yet, many Utahns are unaware of which prescriptions are opioids or the risks associated with taking them.
Who: Interviews available include:
- Greg Jones, director of pharmacy for Harmons and chairman of the Utah Pharmacy Licensing Board
- Angela Dunn, deputy state epidemiologist, UDOH
When: Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m.
Where: City Creek Harmons Downtown
135 East 100 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
On-site parking is available.
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Media Contact:
Tammy Kikuchi
(o) 801-538-6426
(c) 801-918-1290
tkikuchi@utah.gov