Wednesday, November 25, 2009
WLKY Investigates: Why Kentucky Ranks No. 1 In Drug Abuse
Commonwealth Leads Nation In Prescription Drug Abuse
By Steve Burgin/WLKY
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- Kentuckyhas received a No. 1 ranking, but it's a dubious honor.
The Commonwealth leads the nation in prescription drug use for non-medical purposes.
Click Here: Watch Part 1 Watch Part 2
Last week, an investigation into interstate pill smuggling led to hundreds of arrests in Kentucky.
Prescription drug abuse leads to crime. Just ask Pat Fogarty. “It's been about a 10-year battle for me,” said Fogarty, a recovering drug abuser.
A judge ordered Fogarty to get help at Louisville’s Healing Place. Fogarty has spent time in jail for theft and other crimes related to his prescription drug abuse. “I've stolen from my mom numerous times. She'd think I got sober, let me back in her life and I'd keep doing it. It didn't matter. I did whatever it took to get money,” explained Fogarty.
Fogarty said he’s been clean for a year. He explained the various ways prescription drugs are readily available. He said some abusers doctor shop, or go from physician to physician to get painkillers. Others, he said, buy them on the streets. The figures for Kentuckyback up his claim.
“Thirty-two counties all across the state saw a 20 percent increase in the amount of drugs prescribed,” said Van Ingram from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.
The counties with the highest increase in prescription drugs from 2005 to 2007 were Carroll County, with nearly 42 percent, and Hancock County, with just over 54 percent. Jefferson County jumped 18.5 percent during that time.
Arrests more than doubled during that time period. Metro police make prescription drug busts on a weekly basis. People call in phony prescriptions, steal prescription blanks, or change ones they get from doctors.
Last month, Martha Rowland was given a two-year prison sentence on a 2008 prescription drug case. Six weeks before her sentencing, she was arrested again on prescription fraud charges.
Prescription drugs are also the chief reason unintentional overdose deaths doubled over a five-year period in Kentucky.
“You know, we had 485 overdose deaths in Kentuckyin 2008,” said Ingram. Some of them were young people who got the drugs at home. “People really need to be aware that their prescriptions can be pilfered in their own home,” said pharmacist Art Jacob.
That's why authorities say drug toss events like one held in October are important.
“No. 1, just remove the access and ability for them to be diverted to the illegal market,” said Louisville Metro Police Department Sgt. John McGuire.
Fogarty said because the addiction is strong, so is the drive to feed the habit. “Addicted for a decade and I'm pretty strong-willed person. I consider myself pretty strong-willed. The drive took over. It became my god,” said Fogarty. Fogarty is now trying to help others kick their habit.
The First Line Of Defense
Kentucky has a state of the art system for tracking prescription drugs, especially controlled substances. Last week, law enforcement authorities fanned out across eastern Kentucky searching for hundreds of people in a major investigation into interstate pill smuggling.
State police said many illegally obtained prescription drugs are coming from Florida.
It's just one pipeline to the Commonwealth authorities are trying to plug.
“These pain killers are very powerful,” said Ingram. “It's not a drug like crack cocaine you can get on a street corner. But, you get to know certain people and network,” said Fogarty.
The addicts and suppliers come from all walks of life. Laura Ford is a nurse practitioner. Last month she was arrested on charges she forged prescriptions. Police said she was attempting to get Lortab.
Most young people, who died from drug overdoses in Kentuckylast year did so with prescription drugs. That's why its important to keep track of what you have in the medicine cabinet.
Hydrocodone drugs like Lortab, Lorcet, and Vicodin made up 46 percent of all controlled substances prescribed in Kentuckyin the second quarter of this year. Oxycodone drugs made up 16 percent.
“The only thing a doctor is, is a licensed drug dealer as simple as that and that has to be stopped,” said family practitioner Dr. Praveen Arla. Arla said all physicians should be using KASPER, the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Reporting System. All pharmacies in the state input information in the system.
“In a matter of minutes we can get a report on KASPER on a patient we suspect has been using drugs,” said Jacob. “Out of 14,000 prescribers in Kentucky, only 26 percent of them have KASPER accounts to even access the data,” said Ingram.
Ingram said with KASPER, physicians can easily tell if their patients have been doctor shopping.
Guidelines won't let police get on KASPER unless they have an active investigation.
Arla and his son, a physician, are teaming up with Bullitt County authorities to help, especially when it comes to youngsters. “Right now as you look everyone is working as individuals and not together. I think the concept of the doctor and sheriff is really to get inside and help each other,” said Arla.
Commonwealth Leads Nation In Prescription Drug Abuse
By Steve Burgin/WLKY
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- Kentuckyhas received a No. 1 ranking, but it's a dubious honor.
The Commonwealth leads the nation in prescription drug use for non-medical purposes.
Click Here: Watch Part 1 Watch Part 2
Last week, an investigation into interstate pill smuggling led to hundreds of arrests in Kentucky.
Prescription drug abuse leads to crime. Just ask Pat Fogarty. “It's been about a 10-year battle for me,” said Fogarty, a recovering drug abuser.
A judge ordered Fogarty to get help at Louisville’s Healing Place. Fogarty has spent time in jail for theft and other crimes related to his prescription drug abuse. “I've stolen from my mom numerous times. She'd think I got sober, let me back in her life and I'd keep doing it. It didn't matter. I did whatever it took to get money,” explained Fogarty.
Fogarty said he’s been clean for a year. He explained the various ways prescription drugs are readily available. He said some abusers doctor shop, or go from physician to physician to get painkillers. Others, he said, buy them on the streets. The figures for Kentuckyback up his claim.
“Thirty-two counties all across the state saw a 20 percent increase in the amount of drugs prescribed,” said Van Ingram from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.
The counties with the highest increase in prescription drugs from 2005 to 2007 were Carroll County, with nearly 42 percent, and Hancock County, with just over 54 percent. Jefferson County jumped 18.5 percent during that time.
Arrests more than doubled during that time period. Metro police make prescription drug busts on a weekly basis. People call in phony prescriptions, steal prescription blanks, or change ones they get from doctors.
Last month, Martha Rowland was given a two-year prison sentence on a 2008 prescription drug case. Six weeks before her sentencing, she was arrested again on prescription fraud charges.
Prescription drugs are also the chief reason unintentional overdose deaths doubled over a five-year period in Kentucky.
“You know, we had 485 overdose deaths in Kentuckyin 2008,” said Ingram. Some of them were young people who got the drugs at home. “People really need to be aware that their prescriptions can be pilfered in their own home,” said pharmacist Art Jacob.
That's why authorities say drug toss events like one held in October are important.
“No. 1, just remove the access and ability for them to be diverted to the illegal market,” said Louisville Metro Police Department Sgt. John McGuire.
Fogarty said because the addiction is strong, so is the drive to feed the habit. “Addicted for a decade and I'm pretty strong-willed person. I consider myself pretty strong-willed. The drive took over. It became my god,” said Fogarty. Fogarty is now trying to help others kick their habit.
The First Line Of Defense
Kentucky has a state of the art system for tracking prescription drugs, especially controlled substances. Last week, law enforcement authorities fanned out across eastern Kentucky searching for hundreds of people in a major investigation into interstate pill smuggling.
State police said many illegally obtained prescription drugs are coming from Florida.
It's just one pipeline to the Commonwealth authorities are trying to plug.
“These pain killers are very powerful,” said Ingram. “It's not a drug like crack cocaine you can get on a street corner. But, you get to know certain people and network,” said Fogarty.
The addicts and suppliers come from all walks of life. Laura Ford is a nurse practitioner. Last month she was arrested on charges she forged prescriptions. Police said she was attempting to get Lortab.
Most young people, who died from drug overdoses in Kentuckylast year did so with prescription drugs. That's why its important to keep track of what you have in the medicine cabinet.
Hydrocodone drugs like Lortab, Lorcet, and Vicodin made up 46 percent of all controlled substances prescribed in Kentuckyin the second quarter of this year. Oxycodone drugs made up 16 percent.
“The only thing a doctor is, is a licensed drug dealer as simple as that and that has to be stopped,” said family practitioner Dr. Praveen Arla. Arla said all physicians should be using KASPER, the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Reporting System. All pharmacies in the state input information in the system.
“In a matter of minutes we can get a report on KASPER on a patient we suspect has been using drugs,” said Jacob. “Out of 14,000 prescribers in Kentucky, only 26 percent of them have KASPER accounts to even access the data,” said Ingram.
Ingram said with KASPER, physicians can easily tell if their patients have been doctor shopping.
Guidelines won't let police get on KASPER unless they have an active investigation.
Arla and his son, a physician, are teaming up with Bullitt County authorities to help, especially when it comes to youngsters. “Right now as you look everyone is working as individuals and not together. I think the concept of the doctor and sheriff is really to get inside and help each other,” said Arla.
