METHADONE CLINICS MAY FACE TIGHTER CONTROLS

A top Republican lawmaker wants tighter controls on clinics that
prescribe methadone, just as a new federal study shows West Virginia
suffering from the fastest-growing rate of methadone overdoses in the
country.

Sen. Don Caruth, who was elected Senate minority leader in December,
said Tuesday he wants the Legislature to look at regulating the way
methadone is used in drug treatment facilities. In particular, the
Mercer County Republican wants to examine drug testing requirements
at the clinics, and explore the possibility of mandating a process by
which methadone users could be weaned off the drug.

In 2006, the Legislature passed a law that had previously been in
effect as an administrative rule governing the licensure of such
clinics. The new law mandates, among other things, annual state
inspections of clinics that use methadone as part of drug treatment
programs. Currently, there are eight such clinics in West Virginia,
although there are at least two other pending applications before the
West Virginia Health Care Authority.

One of those applications is for a clinic in Mercer County, where a
number of residents, local officials and business leaders have spoken
out against it. The Health Care Authority won't make a decision on
whether the clinic can open in Mercer County until sometime after
the end of the month, according to a staff member.

Caruth said such local opposition is fueled by what people see as
ineffective regulations.

"If methadone clinics were regulated to a greater extent, I don't
know if the local communities would have as many objections," he
said.

Under current regulations, Caruth said, testing positive for a drug
besides methadone doesn't automatically exclude a patient from
further methadone. He wants that changed.

He also wants to look at how clinics go about encouraging patients to
stop using methadone.