ADDICTION OF PRESCRIPTION NARCOTICS ON INCREASE

WATKINS GLEN - Last September, 48-year-old Patrick S. Rahilly entered
Watkins Glen Surgical and Drug Inc. and demanded, at gunpoint, that an
employee fill a bag not with money, but narcotics.

Rahilly pleaded guilty to the crime a month ago in Schuyler County Court,
but had his case gone to trial, witnesses would have testified about his
addiction to prescription medications, an addiction that investigators
believe led him to rob the store.

And while his crime may have been one of the first of its kind locally, he
is part of a rapidly growing population nationwide that is addicted to
legal, although potentially addictive, narcotics.

Today's popular prescription pain killers, such as oxycodone and
hydrocodone, can help those with chronic and debilitating pain live normal
lives.

For some, however, the drugs become just as addictive and life-shattering
as their street-sold counterparts.

"These narcotics are in the same family as heroin," said Daniel Fisher,
medical director at Southern Tier Addiction Rehabilitation Services at St.
Joseph's Hospital in Elmira. "You have to be very vigilant, as a physician,
when handling these medications."

Every year since 1998, more than 1 million Americans have started using
prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, according to a report from the
National Institute on Drug Abuse. That represents a more than 100 percent
increase from 10 years ago when less than 500,000 Americans reported the
same behavior.

The institute estimates there are now more than 4 million people, 2 percent
of the nation's population, that regularly use prescription narcotics
non-medically. Annually, more than 9 million people abuse a prescription
medication at least once, according to an institute report.

There are several factors that cause prescription drug addiction, according
to the report. One reason is that most people do not perceive the drugs as
being as dangerous as their illegal cousins.

That perception, however, is mistaken, according to a recent study by the
Drug Enforcement Administration. During the past two years, the brand-name
drug OxyContin, one of the most popular oxycodone pain killers, may have
been responsible for 464 overdose deaths in the United States.

As with any drug problem, the trend toward prescription drug abuse is more
pronounced in major cities, but locally, Fisher said St. Joseph's
rehabilitation programs see a regular stream of prescription addicts.
Treating them can sometimes be harder than treating illegal drug addicts.

Many of those hooked on prescription medicines are white-collar workers,
and their lives do not collapse as quickly as illegal drug addicts, who
often end up in rehab after a court order or a life-threatening overdose,
Fisher said. A prescription addict's fall is much slower and so recognition
of a problem can be delayed.

"They may know in their head that they're hooked, but not in their heart.
It sometimes takes longer for them to get to the point where they're really
ready to stop." he said. "The other problem is that for so many people this
starts with real pain."

At least in the Southern Tier, most prescription drug addicts Fisher said
he sees start off with legitimate prescriptions from their doctors for
serious pain. Naturally, doctors need to be careful when giving these
medications to recovering addicts of any kind, but especially those with a
history of dependency on narcotics.

There are several signs that can help family members and physicians confirm
a potential addiction to a prescription medicine. Addicts will often visit
their doctor for a refill long before their original dosage should have run
out or travel to pharmacies far from where they live.

They also make a habit of visiting several pharmacies in an area to fill
their prescriptions. Through these multiple stops, Fisher said an addict
can obtain numerous doses based on one prescription.

Just as doctors have a responsibility to use care in prescribing these
drugs, pharmacists have to ensure they are not giving an addict their next
fix, said Diane Darvey, director of state pharmacy affairs for the National
Association of Chain Drug Stores, an interest group that represents
pharmacy chains such as CVS and Eckerd's.

The dilemma for pharmacists, however, is that their natural reaction is to
believe a patient.

"You don't want to cause patients to suffer because they can't get a hold
of their pain medication," Darvey said. "But there are always things that
can tell you if there's a problem with a patient."

Pharmacists are trained professionals who fill prescriptions every day, she
said. Professional judgment plays a major role in helping stifle medication
abuse.

Locally, area pharmacists have a big advantage over those in major
metropolitan areas, said Jim Rossettie, a pharmacist at Rossettie's
Pharmacy in Corning. With only about 18,000 people in the greater-Corning
area, both patients and doctors become well-known, he said.

"You definitely get to know everybody involved pretty well," he said. "It's
all repetition in areas like this."

Despite that fact, there are still times when even pharmacists at small
local shops will call a doctor to verify prescriptions.

"We have a responsibility to the patient and to make sure everything is
legitimate," Rossettie said. "We want to help them, but we have to be
careful at the same time."