A Bitter Pill to Swallow

This conference is designed to bring the latest information on both illegal drugs and misused medications to the greater Galveston County region.  It is sponsored by HIDTA, DEA, the US Attorney's Office, DePelchin Children's Center, and the Bay Area Alliance for Youth & Families.

Our keynote speaker for the morning session is Dr. Bertha Madras, a professor of psychobiology at Harvard Medical School, Harvard University.  Dr.Madras served as the Deputy Director for Demand Reduction for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy begininning in 2006.  Her research has led to over 130 scientific manuscript and book articles.  She has spent considerable time researching the increase in fentanyl overdoses affecting the US.  

Dr. Mark Fleming, Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy at the University of Houston will speak in the afternoon about Drugs of Abuse from the pharmacy.  His pimary objective is to explain how prescription medications work in the body and how they increase the risk for abuse and overdose.  He will discuss ways that the community can work together to identify prescription drug abuse.  

We will also have a panel discussion from local and federal law enforcement agencies to round out our day!