About Half Of Prescription Addicts Treated At Tully Hill Were Health Professionals.

A local addiction expert says he's seeing a dramatic rise in the number of patients hooked on the same kinds of prescription drugs that sent national radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh into rehab.

Referrals of patients addicted to the painkiller OxyContin, the drug Limbaugh abused, have doubled so far this year at Tully Hill Alcohol & Drug Treatment Center in Tully, according to Dr. Ronald Dougherty, the facility's medical director. Dougherty said he's also seeing more patients addicted to Hydrocodone, another narcotic pain reliever.

[continues 743 words]