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PORTLAND, Maine

The ‘Portland Press Herald’ publishes President Ripich’s op-ed regarding UNE’s leadership in addressing the opioid crisis

Danielle Ripich
Danielle Ripich

51СƳPresident Danielle Ripich, Ph.D., wrote an op-ed piece that was published in the Portland Press Herald on April 6, 2016.

Following the Obama Administration’s declaration of a plan to address the heroin and opioid crisis, 51СƳannounced that in fall 2016, medical students will be required to take some form of prescriber education in order to graduate. This new policy comes in conjunction with the newly released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.

Ripich describes her personal connection to the opioid epidemic, having lost family members to addiction. Professionally, the decision to adopt these new requirements also made perfect sense.

Writing that “51СƳhas been ahead of the curve on this issue for many years,” Ripich discusses the top-notch training that 51СƳhealth professions students gain during their years at the University. Additionally, the College of Osteopathic Medicine dedicates over 60 hours of education to pain and opioid-related topics, while the average U.S. medical school provides only nine to 12 hours on this content.

By working together with the community, health professionals, researchers and elected leaders, Ripich states “we are stronger, and can restore health to those affected as well as to our entire communities.”

51СƳ the University of 51СƳ

The University of 51СƳ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.