Purdue Pharma launches free educational resource to combat drug abuse

STAMFORD, Conn. — Drug maker Purdue Pharma has introduced a new educational resource for healthcare professionals designed to curb the abuse of prescription drugs, the company said Monday.

Purdue announced the launch of the free "Patient Evaluation Resources for Opioid Risk Management," abbreviated "Perform." The company has been active in efforts to prevent misuse of prescription drugs as one of its lead products, the opioid painkiller OxyContin (oxycodone), is a frequent target for abuse.

"Substance abuse can impede medical care and may even be life-threatening," Albany Medical College neurology professor and Albany Medical Center Comprehensive Pain Center director Charles Argoff said. "I helped developed Perform because it is important for healthcare professionals to be able to recognize and address substance abuse in order to address medication therapy adherence and to intervene when appropriate."

Perform combines an interactive CD-ROM and resource binder and includes case vignettes to illustrate patients at various risk levels of abuse; patient-screening tools; documentation and monitoring information; and links to other resources.

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