Pubdate: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 Source: San Angelo Standard-Times (TX) Copyright: 2014 The E.W. Scripps Co. Contact: http://www.gosanangelo.com/forms/lettertoeditor/ Website: http://www.gosanangelo.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/865 Author: Matthew Waller PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE A PROBLEM State House Panel Seeks To Curb The Trend AUSTIN, Texas - Beyond the always illegal drugs that come through back alley deals on street corners, Texas has another drug problem: illicitly used prescription medication. A state House committee in Austin met Monday to hear testimony on an issue House Speaker Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, laid out for lawmakers to address before the next legislative session. The House Public Health Committee is looking to "recommend strategies to curb emerging substance abuse trends among children, pregnant women, and adults, as well as to reduce health care costs and mortality," according to the speaker's interim charge. Speaking to drug use such as that of OxyContin, Jane Maxwell, a University of Texas social work research professor said a pill of OxyContin can cost $72 on the street, while a bag of heroin can cost $10, Maxwell said. Drug poisoning deaths similar to heroin rose from 168 in 1999 to 525 in 2012 in Texas, more than heroin with an increase from 111 to 354 over the same time period. Overdoses overall became the leading cause of death in 2010, above even car crashes, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, with 105 people dying every day from a drug overdose. In 2010, 60 percent of the 38,329 drug overdose deaths were related to pharmaceuticals, CDC material states. People hooked on opioids such as OxyContin can turn to the illegal heroin opioid, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw testified. Meanwhile, schools are becoming "flooded with black tar heroin," McCraw said. Maxwell said methamphetamine has become more prevalent as well. In 2013, 66 items were seized and identified in labs as methylphendiate, which includes Ritalin, as compared with 13,303 items identified as meth in that same year. On the prescription drug side, Mari Robinson, the executive director of the Texas Medical Board, said that the problem isn't only people cheating the system to get prescription drugs, but that some doctors and pharmacies intentionally try to do nothing but sell drugs. Robinson referred to pictures in slides she gave to members that show pictures of a "pill mill," complete with bulletproof glass, guns found at the location and a money counter to handle all the cash. "You have to realize that there is a really large segment that ... are doing it to sell drugs, period, the end," Robinson said. McCraw said two steps might help. One is to make sure everyone is looked up in a prescription database that the DPS maintains, and another is to report people shopping for drugs at a pharmacy. The lawmakers pointed out that he state has a pilot program in San Antonio in which women addicted to drugs can go to treat the child when born and help care for the child if the child needs to detoxify. Pregnant women could become addicted to pain medication if they need pain relief for their backs, Texas Department of State Health Services Deputy Commissioner Mike Maples gave as an example. Maxwell suggested training for prescribers to know the best practices for prescribing. "There is still a long way to go (to have people realize) that prescription drugs are just as dangerous as street drugs," Robinson said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D