Beshear: New prescription drug law already producing results
By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com
FRANKFORT – Just a few days after a new state law went into effect to crack down on Kentucky’s increasing problem with prescription drug abuse, four “pain management clinics” in the state already have notified the state that they cannot comply with the new law and will close, Gov. Steve Beshear said Tuesday.
Beshear also said another nine of the clinics have not applied for a state license. “They will be investigated to see if they are operating illegally.”
The Democratic governor declined to identify the clinics but Attorney General Jack Conway said two of the four that are closing have had past experience with law enforcement officials. He did not elaborate.
Beshear noted the clinics during a Capitol news conference to report that House Bill 1, which state lawmakers approved this year and he signed into law, already is producing results in fighting the scourge of prescription drug abuse.
Nearly 1,000 Kentuckians die every year from drug overdoes – an annual fatality rate that exceeds deaths from car accidents, according to Kentucky’s Drug Control Policy Office.
The new law requires all prescription providers to register with a state monitoring system called KASPER – Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting. It also requires pain management clinics to be owned by a licensed medical practitioner and professional licensure boards to investigate immediately prescribing complaints.
Since the law was approved in April, more than 9,000 medical providers, mostly doctors, have signed up for electronic prescription monitoring — more than doubling the number registered. It took effect July 20.
Filed Under: Jack Conway • Steve Beshear
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I’d like to know what kind of funding and intentions the state of KY has to combat the increased heroine use that is sure to come when opiates pills are no longer available. It is irresponsible and naive to think that people addicted to opiates will not find an alternative to their addiction. Opiate addiction is not something that one can overcome on their own without the help of medicine and trained professionals. Illegal drug use WILL increase as a result of this new law. The state of KY is trading one problem for another and hopefully they already have a solution in place.
IM 52 I HAVE VERY BAD ANXIETY ALWAYS HAVE SINCE MY MEDS I CAN DRIVE I CAN FEEL NORMAL NOW YOUR GONNA TAKE MY MEDS AWAY NOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME DID U THINK OF ME WHEN U MADE THIS LAW DID U THINK THAT PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED IT WHAT AM I TO DO LIVE IN PAIN AND, GO OUT OF MY MIND I HAVE PTS HIGH ANXIETY DISORDER , I DONT SELL TRADE BUT YET I PUNISH ITS NOT FAIR TO ALOT OF PEOPLE U JUST HAVE NO IDEAL HOW THIS WILL AFFECT MY HOME, MY LIFE I COULDNT EVEN DRIVE NOW WHAT WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN TO MY CANT BELEVE U DIDNT THINK ABOUT SOMEONE LIKE ME