METHADONE

a.. State Regulation Needed

Almost overnight, for-profit methadone clinics sprang up across West
Virginia, selling "fixes" of the synthetic drug to addicts for as
little as $12 a day. The purpose of this trend was noble: It allowed
narcotics victims to quench their craving legally, without going to
criminal drug dealers who charge sky-high prices.

But Gazette reporter Tara Tuckwiller revealed problems in West Virginia:
Some clinics paid little attention to their customers, merely sending them
home with bottles of methadone. In some cases, the stuff was peddled to
other addicts, like street drugs. Overdose deaths occurred - but when police
tried to learn the source of the methadone, clinics refused to name their
customers.

Three weeks ago, the state Health Care Authority imposed a moratorium
on licenses for additional West Virginia clinics. And now the
Legislature is pondering a bill (HB4387) to impose state controls on
the clinics, as well as federal controls. The proposal would give
police access to patient records - just as they have access to doctor
records of prescriptions for addictive drugs.

Some patients - apparently fearing that their identities will become
public - are fighting the proposed law. But we think their fears are
groundless, and we think more regulation is sorely needed.

The bill was drafted by a physician, Delegate Marshall Long, D-Mercer.
We assume that most of the medical community backs him.

With a terrible problem like drug addiction, more safeguards can't
hurt.