Tackling The Opioid Epidemic with The Prescription Playbook

On this episode of Tackling the Opioid Epidemic, we talk to Megan Hanley, an epidemiologist from the Tazewell County Health Department. She highlights patterns that can help vape shops better understand and address the factors that lead teens to access their products, encouraging accountability and responsible practices. Megan also discusses how various sectors—policy, prevention, education, and community—can collaborate to combat the opioid epidemic. 

On this week's episode, we’re joined by Erika, The Prescription Playbook's Prevention Specialist, and Allison, our Digital Marketing Specialist. They discuss the unique marketing strategies for the project. Allison shares how her passion for graphic design and human interaction has led her to her role on the team.

We recently talked to Rita Roberson about her work with adolescents through her career in Prevention for the past 9 years. She takes on a leadership role in Jersey County Against Drugs, and has past experience with youth as a kindergarten aid. She continues to do work in her community to make a positive impact for adolescents to make their own healthy choices.

Prevention Specialist Armando talks to Ron Sprong, Community Health Manager from the Greene County Health Department. During this episode they talk about community building in the Prevention sphere pre and post pandemic.
Join their ROSC Meetings to learn more about the work they do here: https://greenecountyhd.org/recovery/

Prevention Specialist Paul talks to Dr. Sterling Elliott, a pharmacist from Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. During his career as a pharmacist, Dr. Sterling Elliott explains how everyone has different perspective of pain and how that has effected the Opioid Epidemic.  He also talks about what we can do to be responsible for our unwanted medications and how to stop the epidemic. 

We interviewed John Harrison, Vice President from Champion Forward. He talks about his past as an athlete and what keeps him passionate about helping youth with pressures they face on and off the field.  

In this episode we talked to Vermilion County Coroner, Jane McFadden. Jane talks about how her experience as an Army veteran, her 20 plus years as a commander of criminal investigation division at the Danville Police Department, and her time as a community college professor in criminal justice that has led her to where she is today as the county corner. Her current position allows her to see the rates at which people are using substances. She talks about the evolution of opiates and how they are risker today than ever and her opinions on ways we can fight the opioid epidemic in the future.

Our first episode of Tackling the Opioid Epidemic with The Prescription Playbook! We interviewed Mike Gardner, Police Sergeant for Community Engagement at Illinois State University. He speaks about how he got involved in the community, Drug Take Back, and the importance of substance use education. Go Redbirds!