New Prescription Drug Regulations will Help Fight Abuse in NJ
Prescription drug addiction is an ongoing problem in every state in the country and different states are brainstorming on how they can catch those who are abusing the system and identify those who need prescription drug addiction treatment before they enable someone else into addiction or accidentally overdose. A recent study released by the National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA) says that: “An analysis of national prescribing patterns shows that more than half of patients who received an opioid prescription in 2009 had filled another opioid prescription within the previous 30 days.”
Clearly, ongoing and chronic use of opiate painkillers is one of the biggest prescription drug addiction problems, a problem that often leads to painkiller addiction.
New Jersey is one of the states coming out with new regulations in an attempt to curb the abuse of prescription drugs including stimulants, painkillers and sedatives. Their new system will monitor and regulate the abuse of prescription drugs in the state by blocking patients from getting multiple prescriptions for the same drug from different doctors – a common sign of prescription drug addiction and abuse.
How does it work? Pharmacies will be required to collect data on every prescription filled that is a controlled or dangerous substance and submit that data to the state. Prescribing physicians will also be required to check with a statewide database to make sure that their patient is not already receiving an active prescription from another doctor for the same addictive medication before writing a prescription. Drugs like OxyContin, hydrocodone, Percocet, Lortab, oxycodone and others are on the list of regulated prescription medications.
It’s a tricky new system and will certainly take some getting used to both for physicians and pharmacies. It may be months or even years until it is fully implemented and running smoothly, but it’s an excellent start toward the goal of mitigating prescription drug addiction and getting patients who are struggling with addiction the help that they need to move forward in their lives.
If you are living with prescription drug addiction, contact us at Michael’s House today. We offer an inpatient prescription drug rehab program for those who are ready to rebuild their lives in recovery. We also provide a separate sober living estate dedicated to assisting patients in transitioning from the protected world of rehab to the ‘real’ world. Call now if you would like to tour our facilities or learn more about how we can help you win your battle with prescription drug addiction.
