February Membership Meeting

This educational session will provide an overview of current community-engaged strategies to address prescription drug misuse and opioid use disorder. It will highlight the Prescription Drug Misuse Education and Research (PREMIER) Center at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy—its mission to improve patient outcomes through research and education on safe controlled-substance use and its collaborative prevention and intervention projects aimed at reducing opioid-related harms in Texas and beyond. The program will also review the formation, purpose, and recent activities of the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council, including how settlement funds are allocated to support evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services across the state. Discussion will include the Council’s governance structure, its role in shaping statewide investments in opioid response, and examples of funded initiatives with implications for behavioral health providers and community partners. Participants will gain actionable insights into community, academic, and policy-level approaches to reducing opioid misuse, enhancing…