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DUBLIN, Ohio — The Cardinal Health Foundation has awarded over $350,000 in grants to 29 nonprofit organizations that fight prescription drug abuse.
The pharmaceutical distributor said Wednesday that grant recipients were chosen from key communities where a high concentration of Cardinal Health employees live and work and/or where the community is particularly focused on addressing prescription drug misuse and abuse.
Recipients, which included health systems, pharmacy schools and community groups, among others, have been awarded funding in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
"We understand the critical role community-based education plays in combating this growing public health epidemic, and we believe that local, nonprofit organizations are key in the effort to prevent prescription drug abuse," stated Betsy Walker, community relations manager for Cardinal Health.
This is the fourth year that the Cardinal Health Foundation has offered this funding through its Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse Prevention Grant Program. All 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply, but priority consideration is given to programs that are specifically focused on increasing awareness of the dangers of misusing and abusing prescription medications and to those that educate communities about the proper use and disposal of prescription drugs.
Cardinal Health noted that preventing prescription drug abuse is one of the foundation’s top priorities. Since 2009, the foundation has partnered with the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy to develop four GenerationRx tool kits, which are suites of materials to help health care providers, pharmacists, parents, teachers and others educate teens and adults about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. A fifth tool kit focused on medication safety for elementary school-age children is slated be launched in early 2014.
