Pubdate: Sun, 24 Sep 2006
Source: Press-Republican (NY)
Copyright: 2006 Plattsburgh Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pressrepublican.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/639
Author: Andrea Van Valkenburg
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone)

ILLICIT PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE ON THE RISE HERE

PLATTSBURGH -- Prescription medication abuse and addiction is in the 
North Country, is it is across the nation.

"We have known for several years that prescription medication abuse 
has become more prevalent," said New York State Bureau of Criminal 
Investigation Capt. Robert LaFountain, who began to notice the 
growing trend of prescription drug abuse in the 1980s. "We know there 
is a black market for prescription medication and we have seen an 
increase in drug overdoses in the last years."

According to LaFountain, pain-relieving medications are in a higher 
demand and have led to an increase in overdoses and drug-related 
fatalities in the area, frequently involving the dangerous pain 
reliever fentanyl.

Last month, a Lake Placid man died from an accidental mixed-drug 
overdose that included the highly toxic painkiller.

LaFountain said local law-enforcement officials look for growing 
trends of drug activity in specific areas to target for drug 
investigations. Burglaries and robberies, he said, can often be 
indicators of drug addictions in the area.

Within the last two years, several local pharmacies have been 
targeted by thieves searching for a wide-array of potent painkillers. 
Three pharmacies in the Plattsburgh area, including Kinney Drugs and 
Family Drug, have been targeted for prescription drugs, specifically 
oxycontin pills and fentanyl patches.

A pharmacist was injured during one incident.

"We know it's a pretty significant problem and it's something we're 
actively investigating," said Plattsburgh City Police Chief Desmond 
Racicot, whose department recently made arrests in the two most 
recent cases that involved Family Drug.

Racicot said that morphine and oxycontin can both sell on the street 
for approximately $1 per milligram. A typical prescription includes 
30-milligram tablets, which can yield dealers about $30 per pill in 
the black market. Most pharmacies would charge approximately $54 for 
the whole prescription, making the medications of high value to those 
who sell them illegally. Fetanyl patches alone can yield street 
prices of anywhere from $50 to $100.

According to LaFountain, the increased abuse and addiction of 
prescription medications is partly due to the perpetual cycle of drug abuse.

As the nonmedical use of prescription medications became more 
mainstream in American culture over the last few decades, the 
occurrence of abuse, additions and overdoses have directly increased.

Law-enforcement and health-care officials recognize that there are 
two types of prescription-drug abuse. Oftentimes, a patient who is 
properly prescribed the medications can develop an addiction for the 
pain relievers, while others attempt to obtain the drugs for illicit 
use through theft and illegal purchases.

Paul LaMora, the outpatient clinic director of the Champlain Valley 
Family Center in Plattsburgh, said that opiates have more potential 
for abuse than other prescriptions. As an individual's tolerance to 
the medication builds after continued use, it yields more possibility 
for abuse.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, consuming a large 
single dose of illicit medications can cause severe respiratory 
depression that can lead to death. The agency found that mixing 
opioid medications with other central nervous-system depressant 
medications or alcohol can drastically increase the risk of 
drug-related fatalities.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network, which monitors the reported cases of 
prescription-medication abuse cases in emergency departments across 
the country, found that opioid pain-relievers, including oxycodone, 
morphine, methadone and fentanyl, are now the most commonly reported 
prescription drugs involved in abuse and addiction cases throughout the nation.

The monitoring agency found that hydrocodone and oxycodone abuse, 
specifically, jumped from an 170-percent increase in 1994 to a 
450-percent increase in 2002. The Drug Enforcement Agency found the 
retail sale of medically prescribed methadone pills alone has 
increased tenfold between 1997 and 2005.

Many states are now creating new training programs for physicians and 
pharmacists to reinforce recognition of the signs of possible drug 
abuse and addiction, including faster refill requests, frequent 
doctor visits for pain medications and tampered prescription forms.

On a local level, the Plattsburgh City Police Department, in 
conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency, will be holding a 
training seminar for local pharmacists this week to discuss the most 
commonly abused medications, patterns of abuse and preventative 
measures to take in the event of suspicious prescriptions.

"Prescription drug abuse has become a problem in our community," said 
Racicot, who said the department has invited numerous pharmacists 
from the area to attend the upcoming training seminar.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has also launched an extensive 
national campaign to raise public awareness about the dangers of the 
non-medical use of prescription drugs and the increased risk of 
dependence after prolonged use.

"The opiate drugs are in high demand and they are more subject to 
abuse," LaFountain said. "It's a continuing problem."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman