New emergency room protocols will make it more difficult for patients to receive narcotic painkillers from ERs and urgent-care centers, the source of nearly 40 percent of all painkillers, according to the Columbus Dispatch. "Strong pain pills will be harder to get; those who get them will be prescribed only a three-day supply," according to Alan Johnson of the Columbus Dispatch. "There will be closer scrutiny of patient IDs, and some people might be required to take urine tests to detect possible drug use. A lost prescription will be harder to replace." Despite the devastating statistics - drug-overdose deaths surpassed those from motor vehicle accidents in 2007 and one in eight teens have used powerful painkillers that they weren't prescribed (Reuters Health) - there is still a consistent problem with physicians overprescribing pain pills, according to Ohio state officials. "We don't want to be at war with people who practice medicine," said Gov. John Kasich at the opening of the Ohio Opiate Summit in Columbus. "Nobody's going to want to be out of the circle on this." Read the complete articles here: Governor restricts pain-pill access in ERs One in eight teens misuses prescription painkillers Steve Crandall, a top rated medical malpractice attorney in Ohio and Kentucky, believes any laws that seek to prevent this common and widespread problem should be applauded, but are long overdue. "There are many physicians who make a tremendous living writing pain pills to those who are addicted and, therefore, unable to stop themselves from being abused," said Crandall. If you have any questions regarding medical malpractice throughout Ohio and Kentucky, contact Steve Crandall.
Ohio’s War on Prescription Drug Abuse