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DUBLIN, Ohio, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- During the American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) 2013 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Los Angeles, the Cardinal Health Foundation and APhA awarded the second annual APhA GenerationRx Award of Excellence, an award recognizing one pharmacist for his or her outstanding efforts in prescription medication abuse prevention.

The 2012 recipient is Anthony Tommasello, BSPharm, PhD, FAPHA, who was chosen in recognition of his work in the area of substance abuse education. Throughout his career, Tommasello has conducted research and provided education to a wide range of patient populations at risk for substance abuse.

"We are pleased to recognize Dr. Tommasello for his commitment to this critical public health issue," said Elizabeth Cardello, R.Ph., APhA Director of Corporate Alliances.

APhA also awarded the third annual APhA-ASP Generation Rx Awards, which recognize use of the GenerationRx toolkit, a communications package including talking points, presentation materials and tips to enable users to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse in their communities. This award is part of a competition among the 128 APhA Academy of Student Pharmacist Chapters. The 2012 national awards were presented to the top three chapters, in addition to eight regional awards. The top three chapters in this year's competition are: The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The chapters who received region awards are: Region 1  Long Island University Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Region 2 - University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy; Region 3 - University of Florida College of Pharmacy; Region 4 - Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy; Region 5 - Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Region 6  University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy; Region 7 Idaho State University College of Pharmacy; and, Region 8 - University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The awards mark a continuation of the APhA and Cardinal Health Foundation partnership to prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription medications. The organizations work together to provide a comprehensive education program to aid pharmacists and student pharmacists in educating their communities about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

"We believe that pharmacists and student pharmacists can play an important role in helping parents, educators, community leaders and teens better understand the dangers of prescription drug abuse," said Dianne Radigan, vice president, Cardinal Health Foundation, "and we're pleased to work in collaboration with APhA to recognize the work Dr. Tommasello and these student chapters have done to help prevent prescription drug abuse."

About the Cardinal Health Foundation
The Cardinal Health Foundation supports local, national and international programs that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and excellence and the overall wellness of the communities where Cardinal Health's (NYSE: CAH) 30,000 employees live and work. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to encourage community service among its employees and works through international agencies to donate much-needed medical supplies and funding to those who need them in times of disaster. To learn more, visit CardinalHealth.com/community.

About the American Pharmacists Association
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization, representing more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States.

SOURCE Cardinal Health