Eastern Tennessee unveils prescription drug abuse center
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) – East Tennessee State University has announced the formation of a new research center that will be focused on combating the prescription drug abuse epidemic in the region.
News outlets report that the ETSU Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment was approved by the state last month and formally announced at a news conference Wednesday.
The center’s executive director, Dr. Robert Pack, says the center will take a central role in terms of studying numerous ways to treat prescription drug abuse, including abstinence-based treatment and medication-based treatment.
Pack says the center will be an evaluation source for independent treatment centers as well as a research and education source.
The Tennessee Medical Association says Tennessee has the nation’s second highest rate of prescription drug abuse per capita.
