Another day, another pill patrol for Pinellas County, Fla. Sheriff's deputies.
Instead of chasing drugs from abroad, police say their biggest problem now comes from a doctor's office.
After years of spotty regulation, Florida is still awash in prescription painkillers, like Oxycontin, the brand name for Oxycodone.
And the effect has been lethal: In Florida alone, seven people die of prescription drug overdose every 24 hours.
Nationwide, prescription drug overdose has surpassed traffic accidents as the leading cause of accidental death.
"I think we have to realize that this is the first time in the history of the world that we have had a public health epidemic of death, disease and destruction that is actually being caused by health care," said Lisa Roberts, a public health nurse.
3 comments:
Really!!!! In a country where they pass out prescription drugs to your kids and parents like candy, you're surprised and going to run after the doctors. Better go after FDA. And better yet, people don't understand why we have a big drug abuse problem in this country. I don't understand how you can use people as a guinee pig to test a new drug on the market, but lock anyone else up for smoking a joint.
There are alot of pain management doctors in Salisbury that prescribe oxycodone in what most people would consider "massive" amounts. Then the patient gets in the car & drives. The patient gets hooked or OD's or both.
Can you name some names, please? I need to get me some of those bad boys.....
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