In my home region of eastern Kentucky, we’ve lost nearly an entire generation to an overwhelming tidal wave of prescription drug overdoses, much like other parts of the country. In fact, a few years ago, at the Harlan County Boys and Girls Club in Harlan, Kentucky, the organization decided to add a new service for the 2,000 youth it serves every year – grief counseling. Within six weeks, 13 students lost a parent to a drug overdose. Even more devastating is the fact that 11 of them watched their parents take their last breath.

For those who have battled the prescription drug abuse epidemic, we know it doesn’t stop when drug dealers are arrested – it doesn’t end with justice alone. It requires a holistic approach, including a variety of treatment options, as well as education in our schools and communities. In eastern Kentucky, a non-profit organization called Operation UNITE has demonstrated this multi-faceted approach for the last 12 years, and it’s working.

We’ve witnessed encouraging results like the Kentucky Safety and Alignment Network’s report of a 5 percent decrease in drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth, falling from 1,032 in 2012 to 980 in 2013.

In hopes of helping other communities implement similar successful programming, UNITE has taken its mission to the national stage through the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit.

The fourth annual National Rx Drug Abuse Summit – to be held April 6-9, 2015, at The Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in downtown Atlanta, GA – is shaping up to be another tremendous event. The Summit is the largest national collaboration of professionals seeking to address Rx drug abuse misuse and diversion.

Organizers have pulled together more than 180 thought leaders from across the country to lead discussions using evidence-based data in an exciting program. General Session keynote speakers this year will include: Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, ONDCP Director Michael Botticelli, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Tom Frieden, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins, National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Dr. Nora Volkow, and former U.S. Representative Hon. Patrick J. Kennedy (RI-1st).

The main program features 48 breakout sessions organized into eight educational tracks tailored to provide stakeholders – from local, state and federal agencies, business, academia, clinicians, treatment providers, counselors, educators, state and national leaders, and advocates impacted by Rx drug abuse – timely and relevant information for their particular field. This includes Clinical, Education & Advocacy, Law Enforcement, Pharmacy, Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs), Third-Party Payers, Treatment and Trending Topics.

The Rx Summit will also feature a forum with Members of Congress; 14 Vision Sessions examining innovative programs and strategies designed to educate, mitigate and resolve issues; Pre-Summit Workshops on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, HIDTA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Thought Leader Roundtable discussions; and, in partnership with Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), an all-day summit addressing marijuana education (separate registration required).

For information about the Summit visit www.NationalRxDrugAbuseSummit.org, or follow news about the event at Twitter.com/RxSummit or Facebook.com/RxSummit. Questions may be directed to Cheryl Keaton at 606-657-3218 or ckeaton@centertech.com.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-05), Co-Founder of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse