STATISTICS HIGHLIGHT NEED FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING

In the 3 1/2 years from Jan. 1, 2006, to July 1, 2009, drug-related
deaths outnumbered traffic deaths in Hernando County 135 to 127.

That's shocking.

During a five-week period ending earlier this month, seven
drug-related deaths were recorded in Hernando County.

That's even more disturbing.

The overdose of prescription drugs is an epidemic that's plaguing our
community, state and nation. Alarmed by the number of recent deaths,
the Hernando County Sheriff's Office has been moved to action to help
our community better understand the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

While they may be manufactured in labs, prescribed by doctors and
distributed by pharmacists, prescription drugs can be as addictive and
deadly as illegal drugs sold on the streets. So widely distributed are
they that addicts have resorted to abusing the drugs as they would an
illegal narcotic, sometimes crushing the tablets into powder and
snorting them to shorten the time between consumption and
intoxication.

The number of prescription drug-related deaths in recent weeks
triggered Capt. James Walker to speak out. Hernando Countians need to
understand that the abuse of prescription drugs can kill.

The statistics are sobering.

"This is something we've been dealing with for the past few years now,
but seven in a little over a month is crazy high," Capt. Walker told
Hernando Today.

"We're hoping for more public awareness," he added. "We need to get
the public to understand the danger in all of this."

"All of this" primarily is the abuse of prescription drugs - drugs
that doctors have prescribed to patients who are abusing them or ones
that have been secured through illegal means - bogus prescriptions,
theft, etc.

Oxycodone, one of the most sought-after prescription pain killers for
drug dealers and abusers, is known as "hillbilly heroin" on the
street. It's fast becoming one of the most notorious killers of those
who abuse it.

To highlight the problem, a Hudson man was recently arrested in
Hernando County after authorities learned he acquired more than 2,100
oxycodone pills over seven months from nine different doctors -
commonly referred to as doctor shopping. Five of the nine doctors
listed in the arrest report were interviewed by detectives and
provided sworn statements, saying the patient did not tell them he was
receiving oxycodone from other doctors.

So how does our community combat this plague? Public awareness is one
key factor, but much more must be done.

The state is in dire need of an electronic prescription drug
monitoring program, whereby a computer database of all prescriptions
written would allow doctors to know if a patient has obtained
prescriptions elsewhere. In some cases it would also allow regulators
and/or law enforcement to monitor doctors for the prescriptions they
write. A bill signed into law last year in Florida will go into effect
in December.

As Capt. Walker can attest, December won't come quickly enough for
some Hernando Countians addicted to prescription pain killers.

If you know someone struggling with drug abuse or even suspect they
may be, get help before they become another statistic. Tomorrow may be
too late.