The opioid crisis continues to be a national issue that is mostly fought at a local level. Education, prevention and treatment typically fall to the responsibility of schools, hospitals, municipalities and non-profit groups. Prescription pain medicines are highly addictive and the epidemic is affecting people in every slice of society – from teens to suburban housewives.

To help combat the crisis in the state of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Health Literacy developed “Let’s Talk About Pain Medicines”. This one-hour workshop (and accompanying materials) helps inform people how to safely use prescription pain medications and how to spot addiction.

The program was developed at an average literacy level and the materials are available in both English and Spanish.

By partnering with community groups Wisconsin Health Literacy is expanding its reach and making the program available on a state-wide basis. The education covers various pain medication topics and questions such as where and how to safely store the medications, how to safely dispose of unused medications and how to best discuss sensitive pain medication questions with your doctor.

The materials also cover basic medication label literacy – what do the precautions mean and how to understand dosage information.

The easy-to-follow materials allow for the program to be replicated and distributed quickly and efficiently. To date, the in-person program has been delivered to Wisconsin residents dozens of times.

If you are interested in learning more about this project, please contact Wisconsin Health Literacy at healthliteracy@wisconsinliteracy.org. Downloadable materials can be found here.