Jehlen Supports Bill to Combat Prescription Drug Abuse

With the abuse of prescription pain killers having reached epidemic levels in Massachusetts, the Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation for strict oversight of the drugs, Senator Patricia Jehlen announced. The bill will reduce the excess supply of pills and require physician registration in the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program to prevent patients from “doctor shopping” for highly addictive medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin.

“Opiate addiction is an epidemic across the Commonwealth,” said Sen. Jehlen. “Opiates now kill more people in Massachusetts than car accidents. This bill will help saves lives and curb a problem that affects every community in the Commonwealth.”

A report released by the OxyContin and Heroin Commission in 2009 found that Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of opiate abuse in the nation, causing 3,265 deaths from 2002 to 2007 and 23,369 hospitalizations in 2006 alone. The Drug Enforcement Agency reports that Vicodin is the second-most abused drug by high school seniors, behind marijuana, and opiate addiction is the leading cause of property crime.

The bill increases prescription drug security by making enrollment in the state’s Prescription Monitoring Program mandatory for prescribers. The Department of Public Health will be required to produce informational pamphlets that will be distributed by pharmacies with each prescription filled. Pharmacies, drug manufacturers and other relevant parties will be required to alert local police when reporting missing controlled substances to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Doctors and hospitals will be required to notify a parent or guardian of any minor treated for drug overdose. Information on substance abuse treatment options must also be provided, and a social worker will be available for counseling prior to hospital discharge.

The legislation also requires all prescriptions for controlled substances to be written on “secure” forms, using special watermarks, serial numbers or micro-printing to be determined by the Department of Public Health. The bill also forms a working group of practitioners to draft “best practices” for prescriptions that treat acute and chronic pain.

Furthermore, the bill bans the possession, distribution and manufacturing of synthetic over-the-counter recreational drugs known as “bath salts” and provides limited immunity from drug possession charges for those who seek medical assistance for an overdose.

According to Centers for Disease Control, more people are overdosing on prescription pain killers (approximately 12,000 nationally in 2007) than on cocaine and heroin combined, with the number of people needing emergency treatment for overdoses having tripled in the last decade. Of the nearly 2 million emergency room visits nationally in 2009, almost half involved prescription drug abuse.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for further action.

– Information from State Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville, Medford)