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Pilot study on capacity of Ohio public libraries as opioid responders awarded DOIM grant

By Alexa Conrad

Published June 14, 2021

As the rate of opioid-related fatalities has risen in the United States, one set of public institutions has unexpectedly stepped into the role of frontline opioid responder: public libraries.

Libraries across the United States have experienced increased opioid activity on their premises, including drug purchases, use and overdose. Whether and how libraries should respond to opioid activity, most notably overdose, has become a pressing policy and practice issue for the nation’s 17,000 public libraries and professional organizations.

Janet Childerhose, PhD, assistant professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, will conduct a study supported by a grant from Ohio State's Department of Internal Medicine. Read more about the study on the College of Medicine's website.

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