ShopRite Pharmacy Fights Prescription Drug Abuse

ShopRite Pharmacy revealed its plans to help educate New Jersey high school students on the potential dangers of misusing prescription drugs.

The new digital program, which was developed by education technology company EverFi, will be rolled out to 30 high schools across the state, which has seen more than 1,000 opioid-related deaths this year alone, at no cost to the schools themselves.

“ShopRite Pharmacy is proud to bring critical prevention education to high school students so they can gain awareness and build the skills they need to protect themselves and prevent abuse before it occurs," said Karen Meleta, spokesperson for ShopRite. 

Shoprite's Prescription Drug Safety will use an evidence-based public health approach that includes interactive scenarios and self-guided activities that inform students on how to make healthy decisions about prescription drugs, dispose of them properly and what to do if they experience misuse. The course is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health Education Standards and state academic standards.

The program is the part of the flagship initiative from the Prescription Drug Safety Network, which is the nation's first public-private effort to fight prescription drug abuse through in-school education, having already reached more than 90,000 students across the U.S. with EverFi's technology.

 “As community pharmacists, we are close to our patients and recognize that education and prevention are the keys to preventing prescription drug misuse and abuse,” said Jeffrey Mondelli, VP of pharmacy for ShopRite. “We also know that today’s high school students face unique challenges, and this knowledge is critical for them to have. Our support of this new program is part of our ongoing commitment to combating the opioid epidemic in the communities our stores serve through targeted, preventive educational outreach.”