Florida continues to ramp up its efforts in the war against prescription drug abuse. At the state Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi sponsored a measure to mark Aug. 27 as Prescription Drug Take-Back Day" -- a day when Floridians will be able to return unused and expired medications at more than 70 pharmacies and law-enforcement centers in 21 counties across the state. The measure passed without opposition.
Drug take-back days are excellent events that everyone in a community can participate in to prevent prescription drug abuse, said Bondi. Just yesterday, we found that prescription drug-related deaths have increased by 9 percent, and ridding ones home of unnecessary prescription drugs is a good start to protecting family members and loved ones from prescription drug abuse.
Bondi was referring to the 2010 Florida Medical Examiners Commission Report on Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons which was unveiled at a media event in South Florida on Monday. The report, which examined more than 9,000 drug-related deaths in the state last year, found that 5,647 people died in the Sunshine State with one or more prescription drugs in their system.
Speaking at the event on Monday, Gov. Rick Scott insisted that the state government was winning the war against pill mills, noting that there were almost 940 arrests since he set up a strike force to grapple with the issue in March. Since that time, the state has arrested 17 doctors, taken more than 252,000 pills and confiscated almost $1.7 million in assets.
This is what is possible when we target the source of the problem: bad doctors at the top of the pill mill supply chain, said Scott at the media event. By attacking the problem at the source, Floridas law enforcement officers have made a dramatic impact. I commend Attorney General Bondi, Commissioner Bailey, and all the sheriffs, state troopers and police officers who are part of this effort.
Florida law enforcement has launched a focused attack, said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. We have major investigations open in every region of the state and we are systematically taking down pill mills, rounding up street traffickers, and putting overprescribing doctors out of business.
The severity of this epidemic cannot be overstated, said Dr. Frank Farmer, the state surgeon general. DOH is committed to suspending and revoking the licenses of unscrupulous practitioners who inappropriately prescribe highly addictive controlled substances to patients, with the hopes of stopping countless senseless deaths in our state.
The Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, the second one the state has held, is being sponsored by the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI), the National Family Partnership, Walgreens, and the Collaborating and Acting Responsibly to Ensure Safety Alliance (CARES Alliance). The CARES Alliance is backed by Covidien, a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Sherice Mills, a spokeswoman for the CARES Alliance, talked to Sunshine State News on Tuesday about the importance of the event.
Its important that we rid the streets of the excess medication, Mills told Sunshine State News. We want to decrease the access.
Representatives from the CARES Alliance pointed to statistics that showed seven Floridians died a day in 2009 due to prescription drugs.
We all play a role in combating abuse and misuse and improving patient and public safety, said Dr. Herbert Neuman, the vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer of pharmaceuticals for Covidien. A successful long-term solution can be found, but only through collaboration with groups like NADDI, more focused community education and better resources for prescribers and pharmacists.
It is unique partnerships like these that really make a difference, said Charlie Cichon, the executive director of NADDI. We believe that collaboration through this initiative and others will further our progress against illegal diversion of legitimate, prescription medicines.
Mills told Sunshine State News that more people needed to be aware of the dangers of prescription medications, noting that a majority of abusers started when given medication by friends and family with the best of intentions.
The CARES Alliance offered the following safety tips in regard to prescription medication:
Use only as directed. If a pain medication does not provide sufficient relief, the patient and prescriber should consider other options together. Simply increasing the dose, particularly without a doctor's consent, can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
Never share. National research shows that approximately 70 percent of abuse cases begin with a legitimate prescription that is shared by a friend or relative, or stolen by someone with access to the medication.
Lock it up. Cases of abuse by family members or others who steal prescriptions are all too common. Most people have a place in their home where they keep things they don't want in others' hands, and that would be the appropriate place to store their pain medications.
Dispose of the extra. Become aware of your local community drug take-back opportunities, or talk with your pharmacist about responsible ways to dispose of your prescription drugs. This is the best way to minimize the potential for theft or misuse of unused medications.
Spread the word. If we work together, we can make a difference.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
