HH_050417

6 | May 4, 2017 | The Homer Horizon NEWS
homerhorizon.com
Pharmacist attends seminar
Submitted Content
Zain Razvi, owner of Dr.
Z’s Pharmacy in Homer
Glen, recently attended the
seventh annual IPC Independent
Pharmacy Conference
in Scottsdale, Arizona.
At the three-day conference,
Razvi had the opportunity to
participate in up to nine-anda-half
hours of continuing
education courses,
Pharmacy owners were
updated on the latest trends
in prescription medications
and brought up-to-date on
the latest rules and regulations
affecting the practice
of pharmacy. They were
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trained on new and better
ways to help ensure patients
are able to get — and properly
take — the medications
they need.
According to IPC President
and CEO Don Anderson,
a primary goal of the
meeting is to provide business
guidance and allow
pharmacy owners to learn
from others whose experience
can help them operate
a more profitable pharmacy.
Dating back to 1983, IPC
is the nation’s largest grouppurchasing
organization
owned by independent pharmacy,
representing nearly
6,000 members.
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County officials use education to curb opioid epidemic
Megann Horstead
Freelance Reporter
Officials said education,
training and tough enforcement
on drug dealers will
be key to combatting a drug
epidemic that killed nearly
100 people in Will County
last year.
The Edward Hospital Athletic
& Events Center in Romeoville
was packed April
21 as people gathered for
the sixth annual Hero-Helps
Southwest Coalition Community
Summit.
The event was again
hosted by the Village of
Romeoville and featured a
resource expo on services
and programs addressing the
heroin and opioid epidemic.
There were more than 30
tables set up in the building,
including those for United
Way of Will County, Trinity
Services and Southwest Coalition
for Substance Abuse
Issues.
Among some of the topics
addressed during the summit
included new legislature in
the works, grant opportunities
and initiatives aimed at
working toward a solution
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to the heroin and opioid epidemic
in the suburbs.
Will County Executive
Larry Walsh credited the
community for its efforts to
come together with one mission
in mind: to reduce overdose
deaths and save lives.
To reverse the effects of the
heroin and opioid epidemic,
Will County has implemented
a number of measures to
educate, support and bring
awareness to the issue. From
annual events and partnerships
to grants and training,
the community is working
across municipal and county
lines to make a difference.
Will County hired Dr.
Kathleen Burke a few years
ago as its new director of substance
abuse initiatives.
Under her leadership, efforts
have been employed to
establish a pilot Safe Passage
program with the Mokena,
Lockport and Lemont Police
Departments. Through this
initiative, a person suffering
from any type of opioid addiction
is encouraged to come
into a participating police
department and ask for assistance.
They will be connected
Near You in Homer Glen
with and escorted by a volunteer
to a treatment facility.
“Our goal is to offer this
program to other departments
in the county,” Walsh said.
Will County State’s Attorney
Jim Glasgow is currently
working with State Rep. Natalie
Manley (D-Joliet) to pass
statewide legislation for a
turn-in program that extends
protections and treatment to
heroin addicts.
Glasgow said he encouraged
collaboration statewide
to move closer to eradicating
the problem. He said heroin
knows no boundaries.
“Any of us can turn into a
zombie if ... someone injected
us with heroin,” Glasgow
said. “We’ve got to look at
this in a whole different way.”
Glasgow said law enforcement
officials don’t want to
raise penalties for drug offenses
and said the community
must know that heroin
dealers are still being caught.
“Heroin dealers have got
to be on notice,” he said.
“You’re selling poison, and
we’re going after drug-induced
homicides as aggressively
as we possibly can.
We want the drug dealers
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to know in addition to the
dealing charge, you’re going
to get a consecutive charge
for killing the person you’re
dealing the drug to.”
In 2016, a reported 96 people
died of heroin, fentanyl
and opioid overdoses in Will
County, the highest number
of overdose deaths ever.
One of the challenges faced
in Will County is in educating
the public on what services
and programs are available.
Burke said the County will
be working to fill the gaps in
the services provided for behavioral
health.
“Both mental health and
substance, we know that we
have huge gaps in our community,
and we’re going to be
working over the next couple
years to fill those gaps,” she
said. “[We’re looking to]
have service providers where
… they’re needed and identifying
that and letting people
know that, so that we can invite
them to do that.”
Burke noted the level at
which support is available
on the county’s east side and
said they’ll be working to address
the equity issue.
Burke stressed that it’s all
about “connecting the dots.”
“If you’re not in the heart
of the community, you can get
disconnected,” she said. “My
purpose in the work that I do
is to bring people together.”
Another talking point
raised during the summit revolved
around the stigma of
seeking help for an addiction.
Department of Human Services
Family and Community
Services Bureau Chief Kim
Fornero said people should
start thinking more carefully
about the vernacular they use.
“We need to start using different
terminology — addict,
user,” she said. “We tend to
imply something. I’m trying
to be intentional with my
language. Again, it’s going
to take a minute to say, ‘substance
abuse disorder.’
“It is a disorder; it is a brain
disease, and we need to start
treating it as such.”