Industry News

• April 20, 2011
  White House announces plans to reduce prescription drug abuse
  

  President Barack Obama’s administration unveiled on Tuesday a plan to fight what it calls a prescription drug abuse epidemic. Between 2002 and 2009, the number of Americans aged 12 and older abusing pain relievers increased by 20 percent, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

  
  
  
  
• April 5, 2011
  High pain med prescriptions raise risk of overdose
  

  Patients prescribed higher doses of powerful painkillers are more likely to die of an accidental overdose on those drugs, according to a new study.

   

  The finding is the latest addition to the debate in the medical community over how to balance the needs of patients in severe pain against the high potential for misuse and abuse of opioid drugs, which include Oxycontin and Vicodin.

   

  
  
  
  
• April 2, 2011
  Maryland seeks to tackle prescription drug problem
  

  The number of people abusing painkillers and other prescription medications in Maryland has risen sharply in recent years, and officials are looking to a new monitoring system, as well as increased awareness, to stem the tide.

  
  
  
  
• March 31, 2011
  Drug theft goes big
  

  Organized gangs are stealing prescription medicine in increasingly audacious heists. That’s a problem for Big Pharma and for patients, who can unknowingly buy stolen — and sometimes dangerous — medications.

  
  
  
  
• March 29, 2011
  Governor Scott creates ‘strike force’ to go after pill mills, drug pushers
  

  Gov. Rick Scott on Monday unveiled a new plan to attack crooked pain clinics, committing $800,000 to beef up criminal investigations into shady operators and rogue doctors as well as drug manufacturers, wholesalers and street dealers.