Pharmacists and other health officials in Athens are all too aware of the blurred lines between patients who are in dire need of prescription medicine and those who are just talented actors.
More than 42 percent of patients seeking treatment for drug addiction in Athens County were addicted to opiates in 2011, according to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services.
That’s up from 1.4 percent from 2001.
Unintentional drug overdoses are on the rise, accounting for 1,765 Ohio lives lost in 2011, according to the Ohio Department of Health; a 440 percent increase from 327 deaths in 1999.
It’s the leading cause of injury-related deaths in Ohio — ahead of motor vehicle traffic crashes, suicides and falls, according to the department.
This is why strict regulations were put in place statewide last spring requiring consistent review of a patient’s progress. In addition, pharmacists were asked to perform a background check with the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System to confirm that a patient isn’t “doctor shopping.”
Ben Holter, pharmacist at the Drugstore at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital, said he has learned to spot red flags.
“Before you can legally write a prescription you should view their history,” Holter said. “I’ve seen people that have been to 10 to 15 doctors in a 12-month period. The problem can start with the physician.”
Holter said the drugs most abused in Ohio tend to be opiates, highly addictive painkillers.
Charles Hammer, administrator at the Athens City-County Health Department, said he has seen rises in suicidal and accidental overdoses in the area.
Holter said he prefers to try alternative methods before prescribing medication, especially to students who are at risk for becoming addicted.
Ohio University runs a program for students and locals addicted to opiates by administering Suboxone, a prescription that controls opiate addiction, said Ann Addington, assistant director for health promotion at OU.
“We would work with them to find a treatment center and refer them to counseling or the collegiate recovery community,” Addington said.
Holter hopes Ohio sees change in opiate addiction soon, saying some pharmacists are being far too liberal with their prescribing practices. He added that he’s seen folks drive from Kentucky to Athens in search of prescription opiates, and has turned them away.
“I’m not going to fill that garbage,” Holter said. “I don’t want Athens to become a hub for this.”
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