Opioid Safety Champions
Opioid overdoses killed more than 47,000 people in 2017, according to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The National Safety Council recently released a rearranged cause of death report, saying more people are likely to die in the United States from an opioid overdose than gun violence or car accidents.
The Georgia Pharmacy Foundation launched its “Champions” program to help pharmacists and their teams implement opioid safety best practices to fight opioid misuse in their own communities.
“Community pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare providers in the community, and they’re the last line of defense against opioid abuse, said Mike Crooks, Pharm.D., who chairs the Opioid Safety Workgroup for the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation.
The Pharmacists below have been named Opioid Safety Champions by the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation
Vanessa Croley, RPh, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center
Vanessa Daves Croley, RPh, was recently recognized as an Opioid Safety Champion by the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation. Croley is a Controlled Substance Coordinator and Quality Management Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center (CNVAMC), in Augusta, Georgia, for almost four years. Croley received the recognition after completing a series of educational programs aimed at reducing opioid-related overdoses. She is one of a small but growing group of pharmacists in Georgia to be recognized by the program. Croley earned her pharmacy degree from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy in Athens, Georgia (1994). She is from Alpharetta, Georgia.
When asked why she became a pharmacist, Croley said, “I wanted a career where I could help others and always have more to learn. My interest in the medical field is never ending.” We asked her why she became an Opioid Safety Champion, she told us when she was working as a front-line pharmacist for more than 20 years, she saw the risks, hardships, and loss of life associated with opioid use. “I feel pharmacists, the medication experts, are in the best position to educate their patients and community, as well as provide all the safety precautions available to make a positive difference in the opioid epidemic,” she shared.
Ira Katz, RPh, Little Five Points Pharmacy
Ira Katz was the first pharmacist in Georgia to be recognized as a Champion of Opioid Safety. An advocate for opioid safety for many years, he estimates he has dispensed more than 1,000 units of Narcan to local businesses and restaurants, and the local community to help with the crisis.
“Anyone who wants Narcan can walk up to our pharmacy and get it. We give it away for free,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many people have come back over the years and said, ‘Thank you for the Narcan, I was able to save someone’s life.’ There have been several instances where we have administered Narcan and CPR to people who had overdosed near the pharmacy.”
Katz opened Little Five Points Pharmacy 39 years ago. He received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from St. John’s College of Pharmacy. He was a recipient of the 2019 Bowl of Hygeia award, commemorating his service to the profession and the community. The award recipient is selected annually through state pharmacy associations and recognized for making unique contributions to a strong, healthy community through service and personal leadership. The award remains one of the most notable achievements for pharmacists.
Richard J. LaCoursiere, PharmD
LaCoursiere is an emergency room pharmacist at Augusta University Medical Center (AUMC) Emergency Department (ED).
“My team and I are frequently involved with managing analgesia, opioid withdrawal, and opioid overdoses. When my manager told me about the Opioid Safety Champion and some of the other resources available on the GPhA website, I felt that this designation might lend credibility to some of my team’s upcoming initiatives. We recently assisted with rolling out the relatively new practice of inducting patients on buprenorphine/ naloxone (Suboxone®) when they present to the ED in opioid withdrawal and have expressed interest in recovery. This has greatly enhanced our ability to treat a disease with limited treatment options.”
Samantha Roberts, PharmD, MBA, Emory Healthcare
Samantha Roberts was one of the earliest pharmacists to be recognized as a Champion of Opioid Safety in Georgia.
“Pharmacists are in a unique position to be able to counsel and educate on opioid safety,” said Roberts. “I wanted to become an opioid safety champion to increase pharmacist and provider awareness around this subject.”
Roberts added, “My goal is to be a resource for other healthcare professionals, to support existing opioid programs, and to increase innovation for new safety initiatives. I am hopeful that pharmacists can help identify high risk patients for early intervention and education.”
Roberts has served patients for 14 years. She earned her pharmacy degree at Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Christa Russie, PharmD, The Pharmacy at Emory Midtown
Christa Russie was one of the first pharmacists in the state to be recognized as a Champion of Opioid Safety. Almost immediately after joining the Emory Healthcare team, Russie worked with fellow lead pharmacist, Lou Woods, to create and implement an opioid safety program at Emory’s Midtown location. Russie said she has had a positive response from patients after launching their opioid safety program.
“Patients have both thanked us for our outreach and several shared instances where their child had gotten a hold of their opioid prescription, or they misread directions and took more pills than prescribed,” she said. “Having access to a life-saving medication in the event of an emergency should be the norm and the mainstay of what we do as pharmacists.”
Russie is a graduate of the Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Olivia Law Steltenpohl, PharmD, Barnes Drug Store
Dr. Steltenpohl lives in Jennings, Florida with her husband and two beautiful daughters under the age of three. She is a graduate of South University School of Pharmacy where she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2015. With prior experience in Long-Term Care pharmacy, she now works for Barnes Healthcare, where she has served as a retail pharmacist for the past 5 years.
Dean Stone, RPh, IHS Pharmacy & Gifts
Dean Stone was the first pharmacist in South Georgia to be recognized as a Champion of Opioid Safety.
“I believe everyone has had a family member or friend that has been affected by opioid addiction or risks of opioid use,” Stone said. “I feel knowledge is power. I can educate patients on risk and provide them with options to help protect the ones they love. Our team working together can put in action what we have learned to impact the lives we care for. It is a team effort.”
Stone is a graduate of the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and has cared for patients in the Metter community for more than 24 years.
Lou Woods, PharmD,The Pharmacy at Emory Midtown
Lou Woods was one of the first pharmacists in the state to be recognized as a Champion of Opioid Safety. Almost immediately after joining the Emory Healthcare team, Woods worked with fellow lead pharmacist, Christa Russie, to create and implement an opioid safety program at Emory’s Midtown location.
“As pharmacists, we are all in a unique position to help our patients combat the opioid crisis throughout the state and country,” Woods said. “It has given me some peace of mind to be able to do my part in helping to keep our patients safe from some of the unwanted effects of opioids.”
Woods is a graduate of the Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
