Abuse of prescription medications has
become an immense problem within many communities today. It is widely accepted
that alternative therapies such as acupressure can be a suitable treatment for
chronic pain. Some other benefits of acupressure include proven effectiveness,
it is relatively easy to learn, side effects are substantially lower than pain
medications, and it is free to do at home. Therefore collaboration with other
health professionals who manage pain is a possible public health intervention.
According to the American Journal of Public Health, “One
of the most promising practice-based approaches in public health
is the development of interorganizational partnerships as a way to attain
resources, share knowledge, and thus improve population health outcomes” (Varda, Shoup, & Miller, 2012). It would
then be proposed that the community health agency acquire more information
about local acupuncture therapists and encourage a partnership between them and
physical medicine physicians. In addition, I would recommend the public health facility contain educational pamphlets for those clients who are interested. This would be beneficial to population outcomes as they are
related to prescription drug overuse/abuse and contribute to the overall goal
of public health.
Reference
Varda, D., Shoup, J., Miller, S. (March 2012). A systematic review of collaboration and network research in the public affairs literature: Implications for public health practice and research, 102(3).
