President Obama to Address Fifth Annual National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit; Appriss to Sponsor and Host Speaking Session

LOUISVILLE, K.Y., March 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Appriss, Inc., will sponsor the 2016 National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, which runs from March 28 through March 31 at The Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in downtown Atlanta. On March 22, President Barack Obama announced that he will speak at the fifth annual Summit, following an announcement earlier this year of new public and private sector actions to address the opioid epidemic.

The Summit is the largest national collaboration of federal, state and local professionals seeking to address prescription drug abuse, misuse and diversion.

This year the Summit has expanded its focus to address the emerging heroin crisis, which has been linked to the prescription drug problem.
 
"By bringing together the top professionals across the spectrum, we are advancing a much-needed, multi-faceted approach to combating the drug abuse epidemic across the country," said Nancy Hale, President/CEO for Operation UNITE, the Summit's organizer. "We are pleased that Appriss is a key participant and sponsor. By sharing those resources and expertise, Appriss is helping fight this epidemic by working to create a solution that will save lives, families and entire communities."
 
More than 1,600 of the nation's top researchers, law enforcement, advocates and policy-makers will participate.
 
Other keynote and general session speakers include:
• Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture
• U. S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers, R-Kentucky 5th District, Chair, Committee on Appropriations
• Michael P. Botticelli, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Dr. Tom Frieden, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health
• Dr. Robert M. Califf, Commissioner, United States Food and Drug Administration
• Dr. Eli Capilouto, President, University of Kentucky
• Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Kana Enomoto, Acting Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Chuck Rosenberg, Acting Administrator, United States Drug Enforcement Administration
• A forum featuring Congressional leaders
 
In addition, Appriss will host a break-out session entitled "NARxCHECK – The Next Generation of Controlled Substance Prescription History Reports for the Healthcare Professional." Prescription (drug) monitoring programs (PMPs or PDMPs) are acknowledged as important tools in discovering potential abuse, misuse or diversion of controlled substances. Many times, the PMP report detailing a person's controlled substance prescription history is data intensive and time consuming for a physician (or other prescriber) or pharmacist to review. Appriss will present NARxCHECK as a "next generation solution" to view PMP data, as authorized prescribers and pharmacists are presented enhanced analytics and graphical representations of PMP data at the point-of-care to help ensure patient safety.
 
The Appalachian Regional Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also will have an interactive exhibit for attendees to create six-word stories, snap photos of themselves and their stories at the exhibit photo booth, and share using hashtags #RxSummit and #RxProblem. Those photos, as well as daily coverage of the Summit can be found on the Summit's Facebook and Twitter social media channels.
 
For more information on the Summit, visit http://nationalrxdrugabusesummit.org. For more information about Appriss or NARxCHECK, please visit http://www.appriss.com or http://www.appriss.com/narxcheck.