Published: October 02, 2009 05:48 pm      

Worrisome sign — 10/03/09

Numbers indicate prescription drug epidemic far from over

A new report from the state Justice and Public Safety Cabinet says prescriptions for controlled substances are up in all but two of Kentucky’s 120 counties.

While that alone is not proof that the abuse of prescriptions continues to increase in Kentucky despite all the efforts to curb it, it certainly is worrisome. As Van Ingram, director of the office of drug control policy, said the more prescription drugs dispensed, the greater the chances are for abuse.

Surely by now everyone is this region is aware of the prescription drug epidemic that has caused hundreds of deaths and has disrupted the lives of dozens of families during the last decade. The “diversion” of prescription drugs — the term used for medicines not being used as prescribed — remains by far and away this region’s most serious drug problem and its biggest crime problem. In addition to the crime of misusing a prescription drug, many thefts in this region — by robbery, burglary, shoplifting or however — are a direct result of addicts trying to raise the money to feed their habits.

The only two counties — Crittenden and Union — to not have an increase in the number of prescriptions dispensed between 2005 and 2007 based on a statewide electronic reporting system are both hundreds of miles from this region in western Kentucky. Meanwhile five counties much closer to home — Bell, Clinton, Magoffin, Owsley and Whitley — all averaged more than four prescriptions for controlled substances per resident.

Many of the prescriptions are for pain medication that contains oxycodone, including Oxycontin, the pain medication that became so abused in this region that it earned the nickname “hillbilly heroin.”

State lawmakers, prosecutors and law enforcement officers have been relentless in their efforts to curb the abuse of prescription medications by shutting down pain clinics and putting the physicians-turned-pushers who operated them behind bars, enacting laws requiring better reporting of prescription sales, and attempting to curb the flow of prescriptions into Kentucky from pain clinics in Florida. In addition, more help has been made available for those addicted to prescriptions drugs.

Yet, the epidemic continues. Clearly, more needs to be done.