WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., February 26, 2024 – West Liberty University is proud to announce the launch of the SmartRx University Program on campus, aimed at educating college students about medication safety and responsibility. The program, which is part of a nationwide initiative, is designed to raise awareness about the proper use, storage, and disposal of medications, as well as the dangers of medication misuse.
This semester, the Director of Student Health Services, Christy Bennington, took the initiative to implement the SmartRx University Program on campus. Bailee Smith was chosen as the ambassador for the program and will be responsible for promoting medication safety among her peers.
“I am honored to be chosen as the ambassador for the Smart RxU Program at West Liberty University,” said Bailee Smith. “This program is incredibly important as it educates students about the safe use of medications and the potential dangers of misuse. I look forward to promoting medication safety on our campus and empowering my peers to make informed decisions about their health.”
As part of the program, Bailee will undergo training to become a trainer and will then train other students, who will in turn present the material across campus. The curriculum includes defining medication misuse and its related statistics, proper storage and disposal of medications, the importance of not sharing medication, and the seriousness of adhering to medication dosage instructions.
“We are excited to launch the Smart RxU Program at West Liberty University,” said Christy Bennington the Director of Student Health Services. “This program will not only educate our students about the importance of medication safety but will also empower them to become advocates for safe medication practices in our community.”
The training for the trainers is scheduled to take place on March 13th and 15th, with a goal for the trainers to complete their part by training other clubs or athletic teams by April 15th. Nine individuals have already committed to being trainers for the program.
The SmartRx University program is part of the Be The One initiative. This initiative was created by the West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Program (WVCRN) and the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute (WVDII), with the goal of increasing prevention and recovery efforts on West Virginia campuses. It is the first of its kind and will focus on opioid overdose prevention from a bystander’s perspective, encouraging students, staff, and faculty to Be The One to save a life.
West Liberty University is West Virginia’s oldest public university, and it offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and 12 graduate programs, both online and on campus. Learn more at westliberty.edu.
