| Thirty-one of 75 patients hospitalized for opioid | | | | The explosion of pain clinics in Florida has contributed |
| detoxification told physicians they first became | | | | to the problem. Many of these are "pill mills" where |
| addicted to drugs legitimately prescribed for pain. | | | | drugs are traded for money. Florida has become |
| Another 24 patients started their addiction with | | | | popular for drug-seekers from other states to come |
| prescription pills from a friend or a parent's medicine | | | | and get a supply of prescription drugs. |
| cabinet. The remaining 20 patients said they became | | | | According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use |
| addicted on street drugs. | | | | and Health, 70 percent of people who abuse |
| This information was reported to physicians at the | | | | prescription drugs get their supply from their friends |
| University of Buffalo. Ninety two percent of the | | | | and family. Other patients receive their prescription |
| patients in the study said they eventually purchased | | | | drugs from one physician. Many others "doctor shop" |
| drugs off the street, primarily heroin, because it is | | | | to receive their prescriptions for pain medication. |
| cheaper and more effective than prescription drugs. | | | | Stolen, forged or counterfeit prescriptions are a |
| They told the physicians that they continued using | | | | common way addicts get their supply of prescription |
| drugs because they "helped to take away my | | | | drugs. |
| emotional pain and stress," "to feel normal," or "to | | | | In January, Florida convened a Statewide Prescription |
| feel like a better person." | | | | Drug Task Force made up of several state agencies |
| The information will be used to train medical students | | | | and charged them with finding solutions to the |
| and residents at the University of Buffalo School of | | | | problem. In conjunction with federal agencies, the |
| Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and practicing | | | | Task Force has accelerated their attack on the |
| physicians to screen for potential addiction among | | | | criminal activity that often surround prescription drug |
| their patients, and to direct patients to a treatment | | | | use. |
| program if necessary. | | | | A law, SB 2272, was passed that granted greater |
| Abuse of prescribed drugs is the biggest drug-related | | | | authority for health officials to regulate the pain clinics |
| threat to the health and safety of Floridians. The | | | | in Florida. The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program |
| 2009 Florida Medical Examiner's Report revealed that | | | | will begin in December. It will allow physicians to look |
| overdoses from prescription drugs kill seven Floridians | | | | at their patient's prescription history. As a result, |
| each day. This is five times greater than deaths from | | | | potential "doctor shoppers" will be discouraged. |
| all illegal drugs combined. | | | | |