DUBLIN, Ohio — Student pharmacists from across the country and a clinical professor of pharmacy were honored by the Cardinal Health Foundation, Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and American Pharmacists Association (APhA) for their efforts in preventing prescription medication abuse and misuse.

Cardinal Health said Friday that the recognitions are part of Generation Rx, an ongoing education and outreach initiative aimed at stemming the tide of prescription drug abuse and misuse. The organizations presented the sixth annual APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Generation Rx Awards during the APhA2016 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Baltimore. They also presented a pharmacy professor with an APhA Generation Rx Award of Excellence.

“According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 15 million people, 12 years old and above, use prescription drugs non-medically every year,” Betsy Walker, director of community relations at Cardinal Health, said in a statement. “Pharmacists and student pharmacists play a critical role in prevention education: helping parents, educators, community leaders and teens understand the dangers of misusing prescription drugs. The Cardinal Health Foundation is pleased to work with APhA to recognize their incredible work.”

The APhA-ASP Generation Rx Awards are part of a national competition among APhA-ASP chapters. Last year, student pharmacists from 91 chapters conducted more than 1,000 Generation Rx presentations and educated more than 165,000 children, teens, college students and adults. Winning chapters were selected for their collaborative efforts on campus, with pharmacists, community outreach programs and local organizations to expand the breadth and depth of prescription drug misuse education.

Besides a monetary prize, three national APhA-ASP Generation Rx award winners will receive a trip to Salt Lake City to present at the APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies in June.

The national winners were the following:

• National Award ($1,000): East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, Tenn.

• National 1st Runner-Up Award ($750): University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, Ark.

• National 2nd Runner-Up Award ($500): University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy, Memphis, Tenn.

Eight regional APhA-ASP awards were also presented, with each chapter receiving $250. The regional winners were the following:

• Region 1 Award: D’Youville College School of Pharmacy, Buffalo, N.Y.

• Region 2 Award: West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, W.Va.

• Region 3 Award: University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, Fla.

• Region 4 Award: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, Ky.

• Region 5 Award: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, Minn.

• Region 6 Award: Harding University College of Pharmacy, Searcy, Ariz.

• Region 7 Award: Idaho State University College of Pharmacy, Pocatello, Idaho

• Region 8 Award: The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM

The APhA Generation Rx Award of Excellence was given to Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, BCPS, a clinical professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy. Bratberg serves on the Rhode Island Governor’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force.

In 2012, Bratberg and a student pharmacist co-developed an overdose education and training program for pharmacists in the first-in-nation, statewide Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreement for naloxone. In accepting his award, Bratberg said he is most proud of “the successful careers of the hundreds of students I’ve taught.” Bratberg will also receive a stipend to attend the APhA Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies.

“We are extremely proud to recognize Dr. Bratberg for his commitment to his community and his students, and for his efforts in the areas of drug abuse and overdose education,” said Elizabeth Cardello, BPharm, APhA Senior Director of Corporate Alliances.

The awards mark a continuation of the APhA and Cardinal Health Foundation partnership to prevent the misuse of prescription medications. The organizations work together to provide a comprehensive education program to aid pharmacists and student pharmacists in educating their communities about the dangers of prescription drug misuse.