Tamara
Al Rawwad,
PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley
Dr. Tamara Al Rawwad is an Assistant Professor at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Director of the Expansion of Interprofessional Substance Use Disorders Education Project. Al Rawwad has a PhD in Social Work from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, a Master’s in Public Health from the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Jordan School of Medicine, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Jordan School of Nursing. Her research interests include behavioral health and substance use in diverse populations; prescription drug use (opioid); HIV/AIDS; and Interprofessional education and training.
Presenting at the Nexus Summit:
Background: Despite the proven effectiveness of medications for opioid use disorder, the US continues to see record numbers of overdose deaths. Health professionals' attitudes towards opioid disorders impact their ability to manage this public challenge. Misconceptions and beliefs among health professionals create barriers in management of opioid use disorders (MOUD). Pharmacists play a vital role in battling this epidemic. It is therefore prudent to target pharmacy students in any educational projects and training programs to reduce stigma towards substance abuse disorders.
Methods: We used…