Nov 17, 2015 1 min read

Let’s address Pennsylvania’s opiate epidemic related to wrongful and over prescribing of opioids as the number of prescriptions has quadrupled since 1999.

According to the Center for Disease Control in 2012 U.S. providers wrote 259,000,000 opioid prescriptions, “enough for every adult in America to have a bottle of pills,” with Pennsylvania ranging 82-95 per 100 people.

In 2013 overdose was the leading cause of injury death and the numbers only continue to rise. Those most at risk have their own prescriptions while only 15 percent are buying from dealers. According to American Society of Addiction Medicine this has fueled Pennsylvania’s heroin crisis, as approximately 75 percent of addicts switch to heroin for a cheaper, easier way to obtain opiates.

We know why this crisis is steadfastly rising. What is being done to stop it? Pennsylvania passed legislature to initiate treatment programs, funding, and prescription drug monitoring databases. The National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws reports as of June 2015, Pennsylvania started collecting data on prescriptions to limit “doctor shopping.” Now, when will the government enforce the stringent requirements to monitor patients, drugs, and quantity prescribed amongst each provider to hold them accountable?

Tiffanie Taylor

Belle Vernon