Rosenberger announces passage of prescription drug abuse legislation
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State Representative Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) has announced that legislation to address prescription drug abuse and strengthen oversight measures yesterday passed from the Ohio House of Representatives by a vote of 97-0. When enacted, it will combat the growing prevalence of prescription drug abuse and fatalities within the state of Ohio.
House Bill 93 will enhance the current Ohio Automated Rx Review System (OARRS)‹which was established in 2006 to assist health care professionals in identifying drug-seeking behaviors‹to provide additional oversight. It will also limit prescribers' ability to personally furnish certain controlled substances; enact Medicaid reforms to improve consumer education and allow for better care coordination; improve licensing and law enforcement for pain-management clinics; and develop a statewide prescription drug "take-back" program.
"Prescription drug abuse is a growing epidemic in the state of Ohio that must be addressed," Rep. Rosenberger said. "These drugs are readily available on the streets and it is having a devastating impact on our youth. This legislation will help provide needed education about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, as well as reduce the 'street' availability of these drugs."
Opiates alone were responsible for nearly 40 percent of Ohio's approximately 1,400 overdose deaths in 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. From 2003 to 2008, opiate deaths in Ohio more than doubled in a jump from 399 to 915 fatalities, with an average of four Ohioans dying each day as a result of overdoses.
In Ohio, unintentional drug overdoses surpassed motor vehicle crashes and suicide as the leading cause of injury death in Ohio. It has also been reported that the highest rates in the state for these deaths are in southern Ohio, where seven of the 10 counties with the highest death rates are located.
House Bill 93 will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration and debate.[[In-content Ad]]
House Bill 93 will enhance the current Ohio Automated Rx Review System (OARRS)‹which was established in 2006 to assist health care professionals in identifying drug-seeking behaviors‹to provide additional oversight. It will also limit prescribers' ability to personally furnish certain controlled substances; enact Medicaid reforms to improve consumer education and allow for better care coordination; improve licensing and law enforcement for pain-management clinics; and develop a statewide prescription drug "take-back" program.
"Prescription drug abuse is a growing epidemic in the state of Ohio that must be addressed," Rep. Rosenberger said. "These drugs are readily available on the streets and it is having a devastating impact on our youth. This legislation will help provide needed education about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, as well as reduce the 'street' availability of these drugs."
Opiates alone were responsible for nearly 40 percent of Ohio's approximately 1,400 overdose deaths in 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. From 2003 to 2008, opiate deaths in Ohio more than doubled in a jump from 399 to 915 fatalities, with an average of four Ohioans dying each day as a result of overdoses.
In Ohio, unintentional drug overdoses surpassed motor vehicle crashes and suicide as the leading cause of injury death in Ohio. It has also been reported that the highest rates in the state for these deaths are in southern Ohio, where seven of the 10 counties with the highest death rates are located.
House Bill 93 will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration and debate.[[In-content Ad]]