Rx Availability & Access
During the hour-long program Rx Availability & Access, we’ll hear from experts about the scope of the problem, why it has become this bad, and how the medical community can play a huge part in controlling the spread of prescription drug abuse.
Key Concepts:
- Find out how some addicts get their pills
- Learn why there is so much excess supply of pills
- See how the medical community can help stop the spread of abuse
- Discover how insurance coverage plays a role in prescription abuse
Originally Aired: March 21, 2013
Panelists
Daniel P. Alford, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
Associate Professor of Medicine, Assistant Dean and Program Director of the Addiction Medicine residency program, Boston University School of Medicine
Dr. Daniel Alford is on staff in the Section of General Internal Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC). He earned a certification in Addiction Medicine from the American Board of Addiction Medicine and is president-elect of the Association of Medical Education in Research in Substance Abuse.
He is course director for the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded Chief Resident Immersion Training Program in Addiction Medicine and the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine’s Safe Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain educational programs.
Alford earned his medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine, a master’s in public health in Health Services from the Boston University School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Connecticut College.
Kathy Paxton
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities, Director, Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Kathy Paxton’s expertise lies in the areas of perinatal substance abuse, physician engagement, systems integration and collaborative planning.
She has more than 27 years of experience in behavioral health prevention, treatment and recovery. Before returning to West Virginia in 2011, Paxton served as the Director of Behavioral Health and Education at The Ohio State University Center for Learning Excellence.
Paxton has served as a consultant for SAMHSA/CSAP Central Regional Expert Team for more than 12 years
She graduated from West Virginia University School of Medicine with a Master’s Degree in Community Health Education.
Lynn R. Webster, MD, FACPM, FASAM
Medical Director of CRI Lifetree, President-Elect, American Academy of Pain Medicine
Dr. Lynn R. Webster is one of the nation’s leading researchers and experts in the field of prescription drug abuse and overdose deaths. He is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine and is also certified in addiction medicine.
Dr. Webster is a national spokesman for preventing opioid-related harm and president-elect of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM). He is co-founder of Lifetree Clinical Research and medical director at CRI Lifetree, a leading research facility that is actively working to develop safer and more effective therapies for chronic pain and addiction.
He earned his doctorate of medicine from the University of Nebraska and completed his residency at the University of Utah’s Department of Anesthesiology.
She received her B.A. in Psychology from The College of William and Mary, her M.A. in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Ph.D. in Ecological-Community Psychology from Michigan State University.