prescription abuse

Kentucky Senate Committee Advances Fix to 2012 Pill Mill Legislation

Kenny Colston — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:54:24 +0000

A bill addressing issues with 2012's pill mill bill has cleared a state Senate committee, less than a day after it cleared the full House.

The bill calls off some regulations of the 2012 House Bill 1, which cracked down on prescription pain clinics and abuse.

It also exempts hospitals and long term care facilities from pulling KASPER reports every time they prescribe medication.

And while some regulations are being pulled back, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear said the teeth in the original law are still strong.

Kentucky Lawmakers Considering Changes to Prescription Pill Bill Passed in 2012

Kevin Willis — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:32:44 +0000

Kentucky lawmakers agree some changes need to be made to a law passed last year that cracks down on illegal "pill mills." But what exactly those changes should be remains open to debate.

The Courier-Journal reports legislators want to amend the law to make it more manageable for honest physicians, while still cracking down on doctors who have helped fuel prescription drug abuse in parts of Kentucky by writing scores of bogus prescriptions for pills that are later sold to addicts.

Many Kentucky doctors have complained to Governor Steve Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway that the new rules are too cumbersome and confusing, and make it needlessly difficult for physicians to get pain medication to patients who need it.

Drug Overdose Rates Continue to Climb in Kentucky

Dan Modlin — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:27:36 +0000

A new report finds there has been an “alarming” increase in drug overdoses in Kentucky in recent years. The data compiled for the study was collected over an eleven year period.

The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center says drug overdose mortality rates increased 282 percent between 2000 and 2010. In the Bluegrass State, that means the overdose mortality rate has jumped from six deaths per one hundred thousand people to nearly 23 deaths per one hundred thousand people during that eleven year period.

The Research Center is located in the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health, and is an agent for the Kentucky Department of Public Health. The new report is based on an examination of emergency departments, inpatient hospitalization statistics, and mortality data.

Drug Take-Back Programs Active Across Kentucky

Dan Modlin — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 11:07:00 +0000

The State of Kentucky is taking part in a national prescription drug take-back program to safely dispose of unused, unneeded or expired medications. The Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is in effect Saturday September 29th from 10am until 2pm.

New Rules Require Kentucky Doctors to Do More to Combat Pill Abuse

Associated Press — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:31:26 +0000

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has signed emergency regulations that require doctors to meet tougher prescription standards in an effort to stop drug abuse. The rules, which were given to given to state boards that oversee the medical industry on Friday, were presented to lawmakers this week and will remain in effect until permanent regulations are adopted.