Pubdate: Wed, 09 Feb 2005
Source: Oak Ridger (TN)
Copyright: 2005 The Oak Ridger
Contact:  http://www.oakridger.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1146
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

LAWMAKER: STATE ISN'T SPENDING ENOUGH TO FIGHT METH, PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

NASHVILLE - Despite a tight budget, some lawmakers say more
should be spent on fighting prescription drug abuse and the
methamphetamine epidemic.

"Somebody's got their head in the sand," said Sen. Tim Burchett,
R-Knoxville, of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, which
heard a budget report from Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz on Tuesday.

Burchett said he was frustrated that many people were buying drugs
legally through TennCare - the state's expanded Medicaid program -
then selling them illegally on the street.

"It's my contention that the state of Tennessee is the No. 1 drug
dealer of illegal prescription drugs on the street," he said. "It
needs to be stopped."

Goetz responded that Gov. Phil Bredesen's administration did not have
its "head in the sand" and was taking steps to address the problem.

"We do have things in place to deal with it," Goetz said. "It may not
be as fast as you and I would like, but we do have some things in place."

He said the governor's office is working with its pharmacy benefit
manager to implement programs that red-flag people who are abusing
pain medications and limit their ability to get them.

There's also $3 million budgeted for a controlled substance database
that will provide law enforcement with a way to look "comprehensively
at not just TennCare, but private insurance and Medicare, where you
have potential abuse of controlled substances," Goetz said.

In the battle against meth manufacturing and abuse, Goetz said $6.9
million of the governor's $25 billion budget is set aside for that.
But committee member Jeff Miller said that was not sufficient.

"What I'm hearing from the field, is that the money to take on meth is
not enough," the Cleveland Republican said.

Goetz said the war on meth is a priority, but because of budget
constraints, the new money is only "a start on trying to deal with the
issue."

He emphasized to the committee, however, that the money to fight drugs
hinges on the outcome of litigation involving TennCare enrollees. A
federal judge has ruled the state cannot implement planned reforms to
the $8.7 billion health care program without his approval.

If the courts win, and TennCare is left unchecked, it is expected to
eat up roughly $650 million in new state money next year. That could
mean no new money for fighting drug abuse.

"We would have to go and find $650 million," Goetz said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin