Pubdate: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 Source: Courier-Journal, The (KY) Copyright: 2001 The Courier-Journal Contact: http://www.courier-journal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/97 Author: Alan Maimon PAINKILLER TASK FORCE TARGETS PRESCRIPTION FRAUD Photo Identification Is Urged To Detect Drug Abusers FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Members of a state task force on OxyContin say pharmacists need a better way to detect fraudulent prescriptions for the powerful painkiller and other abused drugs. Ishmon Burks, commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, noted at the start of a two-hour meeting of the task force yesterday that prescription-drug problems in Kentucky are not limited to OxyContin and that eliminating all illegal prescriptions is a top priority. "There will always be a new drug used for illegal purposes," Burks said. "OxyContin happens to be the drug now." Federal authorities say overdoses of OxyContin have killed at least 59 Kentuckians since January of last year. More than 200 people have been indicted in an investigation of illegal trafficking in the drug, which is used to treat people with severe pain. OxyContin is a time-release medication, but abusers defeat that by crushing the drug to get the full dose immediately. Several participants at yesterday's task-force meeting, the first since its creation by Gov. Paul Patton last month, proposed ways to keep drug abusers from illegally obtaining OxyContin and other painkillers. Lynne Thompson, a Lexington police detective and a taskforce member, urged the General Assembly to direct pharmacies to require photo identification from people seeking to fill prescriptions. "No photo ID is checked unless the pharmacy has a policy of doing it," Thompson said. C. Milton Young III, a Louisville internist who addressed the task force, agreed that lawmakers need to "raise the bar" to prevent people from getting prescription drugs by trickery. Young proposed that all pharmacy telephones be required to have caller ID to reduce the number of prescriptions that are phoned in illegally. "There's the subterfuge of calling a pharmacy and saying you're calling from a doctor's office," Young said. "It happens all the time." Young also suggested using fingerprints to identify people who pick up prescriptions. In a telephone interview, Ron Huffman, a Pike County pharmacist, said he requires customers to sign a register when picking up a prescription. He believes a photo-ID policy might make him less hesitant to dispense OxyContin. "I've gotten to the point where I don't fill an (OxyContin) prescription unless I know the patient and the doctor who prescribed it," Huffman said. Ron Judy, a member of the Kentucky Pharmacy Association, asked the task force to consider how far a pharmacist can go in reporting suspicion about a prescription, given confidentiality concerns. Rep. Jack Coleman, D-Burgin, told the task force legislators have been considering ways to prevent prescription fraud and he hopes they will consider requiring photo IDs. "I got a sense today that prescription-drug fraud is a big problem," Coleman said. ". . . We need to stop fraudulent visits to (health-care) providers and identify people as quickly as possible." While much of the discussion at the meeting focused on pharmacists who dispense prescription drugs, Burks believes physicians also need to keep better informed about the drugs they prescribe. "Overprescribing drugs is a matter of not paying attention," Burks said. "Patients are possibly manipulating doctors." Dr. J. David Haddox, senior medical director for Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, said the company is working with doctors to help them evaluate patients complaining about pain and advise them on prescribing the drug. "We are very supportive of law-enforcement efforts to stop people who obtain the drug by theft, deceit or fraud," said Haddox, who acknowledged that publicity about OxyContin abuse in Eastern Kentucky has hurt the image of the drug. The task force will meet again April 18.