Five University of Iowa College of Pharmacy students visited Iowa City’s North Central Junior High School on March 23 to discuss medication safety, joining state and national efforts to address prescription-drug misuse.

UI pharmacy student Brooke Hofmeyer speaks to a class at Iowa City's North Central Junior High.

Across the country, one in three teens reports knowing someone who abuses prescription drugs, and nearly one in five reports abusing medications that were not prescribed to them. Early and consistent education can help beat the problem.

The UI students, members of the UI Pharmacy Recovery Network (UI-PRN) and Generation Rx, talked to eighth-grade health classes about prescription-drug abuse and safe medication disposal. They cited real-life examples of the dangers of mixing prescription drugs and provided additional resources for information.

UI-PRN is a branch of the Iowa Pharmacy Recovery Network, an organization designed to help pharmacy professionals identify their own substance abuse problems, enter treatment programs, and progress through the recovery process. The UI group provides one-on-one advice, organizes activities such as alcohol-free stress-relief events, and arranges for guest speakers to tell their recovery stories.

Generation Rx is a national program aimed at preventing the misuse and abuse of prescription medications. It is sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association.