erosion
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2003
- Messages
- 3,182
Pain meds outpace meth as killer drug
Cody Enterprise
December 24, 2007
One drug is causing more problems in Wyoming than any other.
Prescription drugs have supplanted methamphetamine as the drug of choice and is leading to more deaths than ever before.
“If we had as many deaths from meth as we've had recently from prescription drugs, there would be an outcry,” Cody Police Chief Perry Rockvam said. “But because it's prescription drugs, it's downplayed.”
Due to the growing problem, doctors, Cody High School students and law enforcement were among those who met Friday to discuss ways to fight the problem.
“The scope of the problem is worse than the meth problem ever was,” Powell Police Chief Tim Feathers said. “We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Other states have gone down this road and we should follow them.”
To help combat the problem the group discussed implementing a real-time drug monitoring system, creating a “doctor shopping” law, educating people about the problem and starting an electronic prescription system.
“This is something we have to do,” Feathers said. “We need to put our heads together to solve the problem.”
The Wyoming Board of Pharmacy has a prescription drug monitoring program that began in 2004. There are 540,000 prescriptions collected each year and 357 controlled substance dispensers. Data is collected once a month.
“In no way is it a real-time database when there is a 30-day lag,” said Rep. Colin Simpson, R-Cody. “Our first priority is to ensure people are legally using controlled substances.”
Updating the system each week would be an improvement, but several people said a real-time system is the best option.
“From my perspective I'm pushing real-time,” Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric said. “If not real-time now, then it will be real-time in five years and there will be 10 times the problem.”
“The more I think about it, the more real-time and electronic prescriptions would help,” Dr. Michael Codiga added.
Lovell Police Chief Nick Lewis said he is concerned about the monitoring program's filtering system. If the board sees a red flag in the program, it contacts local police.
“I think the system needs to be a little tighter,” he said. “Some of the cases I've seen are just outrageous with people hitting Lovell, Powell, Cody and other parts of the Big Horn Basin getting multiple prescriptions without red-flagging the system.”
Most in attendance feel a “doctor shopping” law could help as it might detour people from attempting to get several prescriptions for fear of punishment.
“With HIIPA laws, physicians are afraid and don't know what information they can share,” Lewis said. “Something like this might help alleviate it.”
Community education also is an important step the group hopes to take. Codiga said doctors also need to be educated.
“We need more physician education,” he said. “There are alternate medications that can be used if they think there's a problem. It takes effort, but we need to be more vigilant.”
Currently most of the problems are happening at pharmacies. People often take prescriptions to several stores to get pills.
“All the problems we're seeing comes from pharmacies,” Skoric said. “We know where this stuff is coming from.”
One way to eliminate the problem, he said, might be to send electronic prescriptions directly to the pharmacy so patients can't tamper with them. Another would be to require customers to show identification.
“You need identification to get on a plane, so why not require it to pick up medication,” Simpson said.
A drug disposal program was suggested to get rid of expired drugs people have lying around the house.
Youth for Justice advisor Deb White mentioned a program in Casper where drugs were collected at a blood drive. A pharmacist, law enforcement officer and pharmacy students logged in and disposed of the drugs.
“They collected 15 pounds, which is a substantial amount,” she said. “We need some mechanism in place where people can dispose of expired drugs. Some people have medication in their cabinets they don't even know they have.”
Simpson said he would look into preparing two bills; one to get the monitoring system up to real-time status and another to punish “doctor shoppers.” He said community education also would be part of the package.
Simpson also said he would check into a disposal system.
The group plans to meet again next month to review new information.
Link
Cody Enterprise
December 24, 2007
One drug is causing more problems in Wyoming than any other.
Prescription drugs have supplanted methamphetamine as the drug of choice and is leading to more deaths than ever before.
“If we had as many deaths from meth as we've had recently from prescription drugs, there would be an outcry,” Cody Police Chief Perry Rockvam said. “But because it's prescription drugs, it's downplayed.”
Due to the growing problem, doctors, Cody High School students and law enforcement were among those who met Friday to discuss ways to fight the problem.
“The scope of the problem is worse than the meth problem ever was,” Powell Police Chief Tim Feathers said. “We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Other states have gone down this road and we should follow them.”
To help combat the problem the group discussed implementing a real-time drug monitoring system, creating a “doctor shopping” law, educating people about the problem and starting an electronic prescription system.
“This is something we have to do,” Feathers said. “We need to put our heads together to solve the problem.”
The Wyoming Board of Pharmacy has a prescription drug monitoring program that began in 2004. There are 540,000 prescriptions collected each year and 357 controlled substance dispensers. Data is collected once a month.
“In no way is it a real-time database when there is a 30-day lag,” said Rep. Colin Simpson, R-Cody. “Our first priority is to ensure people are legally using controlled substances.”
Updating the system each week would be an improvement, but several people said a real-time system is the best option.
“From my perspective I'm pushing real-time,” Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric said. “If not real-time now, then it will be real-time in five years and there will be 10 times the problem.”
“The more I think about it, the more real-time and electronic prescriptions would help,” Dr. Michael Codiga added.
Lovell Police Chief Nick Lewis said he is concerned about the monitoring program's filtering system. If the board sees a red flag in the program, it contacts local police.
“I think the system needs to be a little tighter,” he said. “Some of the cases I've seen are just outrageous with people hitting Lovell, Powell, Cody and other parts of the Big Horn Basin getting multiple prescriptions without red-flagging the system.”
Most in attendance feel a “doctor shopping” law could help as it might detour people from attempting to get several prescriptions for fear of punishment.
“With HIIPA laws, physicians are afraid and don't know what information they can share,” Lewis said. “Something like this might help alleviate it.”
Community education also is an important step the group hopes to take. Codiga said doctors also need to be educated.
“We need more physician education,” he said. “There are alternate medications that can be used if they think there's a problem. It takes effort, but we need to be more vigilant.”
Currently most of the problems are happening at pharmacies. People often take prescriptions to several stores to get pills.
“All the problems we're seeing comes from pharmacies,” Skoric said. “We know where this stuff is coming from.”
One way to eliminate the problem, he said, might be to send electronic prescriptions directly to the pharmacy so patients can't tamper with them. Another would be to require customers to show identification.
“You need identification to get on a plane, so why not require it to pick up medication,” Simpson said.
A drug disposal program was suggested to get rid of expired drugs people have lying around the house.
Youth for Justice advisor Deb White mentioned a program in Casper where drugs were collected at a blood drive. A pharmacist, law enforcement officer and pharmacy students logged in and disposed of the drugs.
“They collected 15 pounds, which is a substantial amount,” she said. “We need some mechanism in place where people can dispose of expired drugs. Some people have medication in their cabinets they don't even know they have.”
Simpson said he would look into preparing two bills; one to get the monitoring system up to real-time status and another to punish “doctor shoppers.” He said community education also would be part of the package.
Simpson also said he would check into a disposal system.
The group plans to meet again next month to review new information.
Link
