prescription drug abuse News

Study: Florida’s Crackdown on ‘Pill Mills’ Linked to Fewer Painkiller Overdose Deaths

A crackdown on Florida’s “pill mills” โ€“ clinics dispensing large quantities of prescription painkillers often for cash-only and without proper medical examinations โ€“ appears to have dramatically reduced the number of overdose deaths in the state from these drugs and …

West Virginia Hospital Association Releases Guidelines to Reduce Opioid Drug Abuse

The West Virginia Hospital Association Board of Trustees has endorsed a set of guidelines to help West Virginia’s hospitals reduce the misuse of opioid prescription drugs. Director of Communications Tina Rymer said in a news release Dec. 14 the guidelines …

Survey: Prescription Drug Abuse Affecting Indiana Companies

The majority of Indiana companies that responded to a survey tied to the state’s growing woes with prescription medication abuse say their businesses are being affected by workplace abuse or misuse of those drugs, according to findings released on Dec. …

Florida Man Gets 10 Years for West Virginia Pill Trafficking

A Florida man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for prescription pill trafficking and money laundering. Forty-six-year-old Lester W. Taylor of Daytona Beach, Fla., also was ordered in federal court in Charleston to pay a $10,000 fine. Prosecutors …

Analysis: North Carolina Studying Drug Formularies in Workers’ Comp Claims

During the 2015 legislative session, the North Carolina General Assembly authorized and funded a study regarding prescription drug formularies in workers’ compensation claims brought by state employees. While this statute does not create a formulary, it certainly shows that the …

Multi-County Mississippi Prescription Drug Fraud Sting Leads to 8 Arrests

An investigation by several Mississippi police agencies has led to multiple arrests in an alleged multi-county prescription drug forgery ring and the discovery of a suspected human trafficking victim. The Clarion-Ledger reports eight arrests have been made and the Clinton, …

Report: West Virginia Leads U.S. in Prescription Drug Overdoses

Nearly 2,900 West Virginians have overdosed on prescription painkillers or heroin over the past five years, according to the state Health Statistics Center. The center also said overdose deaths last year were the highest in West Virginia since 2011, and …

Mississippi Doctor Pleads Guilty to Involvement in Prescription Pill Ring

A Waveland, Miss., doctor accused of running a prescription pill mill has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance outside the scope of a medical practice. The Sun Herald reports 56-year-old Steve Morris III entered the …

Study: Kentucky Prescription Drug Law Successfully Curbing Abuse

Prescriptions for painkillers and doctor-shopping by pill seekers have decreased since Kentucky passed legislation targeting prescription drug abuse, according to a University of Kentucky study. The law passed during a special session in 2012 expanded the state’s prescription drug monitoring …

West Virginia Looks to Tackle Highest Drug Overdose Rate in Nation

West Virginia has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the U.S., according to a report released this week, further spotlighting Appalachia’s festering drug abuse problem that is also fueling a rise in hepatitis C in one of the nation’s …