Health News
- Kentucky's Pill-mill Problem And Law To Fight It Get National Airing, With Issues Of Patient Privacy Versus Public Health Debated
Kentucky's "pill problem" went more public Thursday when David Hopkins, head of the state's prescription drug monitoring program, told the National Conference of State Legislatures the true extent of our prescription pain pill addiction....
- Florida-to-appalachia 'pill Pipeline' Appears To Be Shriveling
Attorneys general from Florida and Kentucky say the prescription pill pipeline between the two states is beginning to close, reports Bill Estep of the Lexington Herald-Leader. They credit new programs and rules in Florida, but Kentucky AG Jack Conway...
- Drug Czar Offers Plan To Cut Abuse Of Oxycodone, Related Drugs
The White House drug czar announced today he wants to cut misuse of oxycodone and other opioid drugs by 15 percent in the next five years, and revealed his strategy for how to make that happen. Gil Kerlikowske, the national drug policy director, wants...
- Rogers, Florida Colleague File Measure To Crack Down On 'pill Mills'
U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers of Eastern Kentucky's 5th District continues to pressure the White House for more action to crack down on "crook doctors operating these pill mills," the Lexington Herald-Leader's Halimah Abdullah reports. (H-L photo...
- Drug Czar Coming To Kentucky To Look At Prescription Pill Abuse
The White House drug czar will visit Kentucky next week to investigate prescription pill abuse, a problem he called "heartbreaking." In a four-day tour, Gil Kerlikowske, President Obama's chief advisor on drug issues, will meet with law-enforcement...
Health News
Fla. governor agrees to implement prescription drug monitoring
"Florida Gov. Rick Scott reversed course Thursday and said he will allow a prescription drug monitoring program that Kentucky officials have demanded to help block the flow of illegal prescription drugs coming from the Sunshine State," the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.
The recently elected Republican said during a congressional hearing that private companies will fund the program for two years. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who also testified at the hearing, said he was "very excited and pleased" at Scott's announcement.
"It was a rare moment of unity for the two governors," Halimah Abdullah writes for McClatchy Newspapers. "Their previous ideological differences on whether Florida should implement a prescription drug monitoring program to help stem the flow of drugs led to a tense standoff. Scott previously objected to such a program, citing privacy concerns, and turned down a $1 million donation from pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, meant to help pay for a prescription database." (Read more)
The recently elected Republican said during a congressional hearing that private companies will fund the program for two years. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who also testified at the hearing, said he was "very excited and pleased" at Scott's announcement.
"It was a rare moment of unity for the two governors," Halimah Abdullah writes for McClatchy Newspapers. "Their previous ideological differences on whether Florida should implement a prescription drug monitoring program to help stem the flow of drugs led to a tense standoff. Scott previously objected to such a program, citing privacy concerns, and turned down a $1 million donation from pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, meant to help pay for a prescription database." (Read more)
- Kentucky's Pill-mill Problem And Law To Fight It Get National Airing, With Issues Of Patient Privacy Versus Public Health Debated
Kentucky's "pill problem" went more public Thursday when David Hopkins, head of the state's prescription drug monitoring program, told the National Conference of State Legislatures the true extent of our prescription pain pill addiction....
- Florida-to-appalachia 'pill Pipeline' Appears To Be Shriveling
Attorneys general from Florida and Kentucky say the prescription pill pipeline between the two states is beginning to close, reports Bill Estep of the Lexington Herald-Leader. They credit new programs and rules in Florida, but Kentucky AG Jack Conway...
- Drug Czar Offers Plan To Cut Abuse Of Oxycodone, Related Drugs
The White House drug czar announced today he wants to cut misuse of oxycodone and other opioid drugs by 15 percent in the next five years, and revealed his strategy for how to make that happen. Gil Kerlikowske, the national drug policy director, wants...
- Rogers, Florida Colleague File Measure To Crack Down On 'pill Mills'
U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers of Eastern Kentucky's 5th District continues to pressure the White House for more action to crack down on "crook doctors operating these pill mills," the Lexington Herald-Leader's Halimah Abdullah reports. (H-L photo...
- Drug Czar Coming To Kentucky To Look At Prescription Pill Abuse
The White House drug czar will visit Kentucky next week to investigate prescription pill abuse, a problem he called "heartbreaking." In a four-day tour, Gil Kerlikowske, President Obama's chief advisor on drug issues, will meet with law-enforcement...