Wilton Library is hosting an upcoming panel that looks at balancing a healthy, smart use of painkillers with the dangers of opioid dependence. This discussion is the next program in the “Get Well, Stay Well” health literary series presented quarterly by Wilton Library and Western Connecticut Health Network.
“Painkillers – Routine Use to Dependence? Recovery and Back to Normalcy” will be the topic on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 7-8:30 p.m. at Wilton Library (137 Old Ridgefield Rd.).
The featured speakers are: Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, commissioner, CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHAS); Robert Bepko, R.Ph., administrative director of pharmacy services for Western Connecticut Health Network comprising Norwalk, Danbury and New Milford hospitals; and Daryl McGraw, director of the Office of Recovery Community Affairs at DMHAS. The program will be moderated by Wilton Library trustee Dr. Saras Nair, former chairman of the Department of Pathology at Norwalk Hospital.
The presenters will cover the use of opioid painkillers, the potential for unintended abuse, the path to dependency and the road to recovery. Delphin-Rittmon will give an overview on the State’s perspective on the problem of opioid abuse, dependency and recovery; Bepko will discuss the pharmacology of how these drugs work; and McGraw will focus on the recovery process and resources available to help. The program will conclude with a question and answer session.
Library director Elaine Tai-Lauria says the program is part of an ongoing effort to help the community access valuable health-related resources. “Through our health literary series, our goal is to provide the community with reliable medical education on a wide range of relevant and timely health topics.”
The series is presented free of charge as a community service. For more information, reservations and directions, visit the Wilton Library website or call 203.762.6334.