Health News
- Pill-mill Bill Causing Problems For Patients Who Have Long-term Prescriptions: Expensive Drug-screening Tests
In July, Kentucky started making long-time holders of certain controlled-substances prescriptions submit to urine tests to determine if they were actually taking the drugs, rather than selling them. Because insurance companies don't consider...
- Doctor Complaints About Bill Aimed At Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse Largely Based On Misconceptions, Health Officials Say
State health officials say doctors' complaints about House Bill 1, which cracks down on pill mills and doctors who supply the illegal prescription pill trade, result from misunderstandings and misconceptions about the law's language...
- In Wake Of Pill-mill Regulation Fight, Beshear Has Chance To Craft A Medical Licensing Board More To His Liking
Gov. Steve BeshearGov. Steve Beshear is in a position to reshape a state medical board that has played a central and controversial role in recent efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse. Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal reports that the...
- To Implement Law Aimed At Prescription Drug Abuse, Licensing Boards Issue Regulations That Some Say Are Too Expansive
Ambien and Ritalin are among the drugs that will be tracked through the state's drug monitoring system, with medical licensure boards issuing emergency regulations that are more expansive than originally required in a law aimed at curbing prescription...
- Tensions Mounting As Implementation Of Prescription Drug Bill Nears On July 20
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, sponsored the prescription drug bill. (Courier-Journal photo)A controversial bill aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse, which was considered by many as the hallmark of the 2012 General Assembly, is creating...
Health News
Board of Medical Licensure to amend pill-mill regulations to address concerns of doctors and some patients
The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure wants to change some of the more controversial requirements for urine screenings and digital monitoring in the state?s new prescription-drug regulations under the law aimed at fighting doctor shopping and "pill mills" that dispense painkillers indiscriminately.
Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal reports that Dr. Preston Nunnelley, the board?s president, told state lawmakers Wednesday that the board plans to submit amendments to the regulations by Nov. 1 to address the concerns of doctors that the new law is proving too burdensome, and because patients are being charged for urine tests that insurance companies are refusing to cover. Nunnelley said the amendments would provide more flexibility on when patients must receive those screenings. He said "chronic pain patients would not face regular screenings unless they are considered high risk for abuse or diversion," Wynn reports. "The amendments are also likely to exempt certain patients, such as children, from checks through the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting system, or KASPER, he said."
Nunnelley called the changes ?tune-ups." ?This is a new experience for the board of licensure,? he testified. ?This is the first time we?ve done anything on this scale and obviously we didn?t do it perfect.? Or perfectly. (Read more)
Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal reports that Dr. Preston Nunnelley, the board?s president, told state lawmakers Wednesday that the board plans to submit amendments to the regulations by Nov. 1 to address the concerns of doctors that the new law is proving too burdensome, and because patients are being charged for urine tests that insurance companies are refusing to cover. Nunnelley said the amendments would provide more flexibility on when patients must receive those screenings. He said "chronic pain patients would not face regular screenings unless they are considered high risk for abuse or diversion," Wynn reports. "The amendments are also likely to exempt certain patients, such as children, from checks through the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting system, or KASPER, he said."
Nunnelley called the changes ?tune-ups." ?This is a new experience for the board of licensure,? he testified. ?This is the first time we?ve done anything on this scale and obviously we didn?t do it perfect.? Or perfectly. (Read more)
- Pill-mill Bill Causing Problems For Patients Who Have Long-term Prescriptions: Expensive Drug-screening Tests
In July, Kentucky started making long-time holders of certain controlled-substances prescriptions submit to urine tests to determine if they were actually taking the drugs, rather than selling them. Because insurance companies don't consider...
- Doctor Complaints About Bill Aimed At Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse Largely Based On Misconceptions, Health Officials Say
State health officials say doctors' complaints about House Bill 1, which cracks down on pill mills and doctors who supply the illegal prescription pill trade, result from misunderstandings and misconceptions about the law's language...
- In Wake Of Pill-mill Regulation Fight, Beshear Has Chance To Craft A Medical Licensing Board More To His Liking
Gov. Steve BeshearGov. Steve Beshear is in a position to reshape a state medical board that has played a central and controversial role in recent efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse. Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal reports that the...
- To Implement Law Aimed At Prescription Drug Abuse, Licensing Boards Issue Regulations That Some Say Are Too Expansive
Ambien and Ritalin are among the drugs that will be tracked through the state's drug monitoring system, with medical licensure boards issuing emergency regulations that are more expansive than originally required in a law aimed at curbing prescription...
- Tensions Mounting As Implementation Of Prescription Drug Bill Nears On July 20
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, sponsored the prescription drug bill. (Courier-Journal photo)A controversial bill aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse, which was considered by many as the hallmark of the 2012 General Assembly, is creating...