Prescription Numbers Hit Record Highs on Staten Island
Posted on September 9, 2010The drug epidemic in this country is changing. It is no longer just a cocaine or heroin problem; now individuals are turning to the medicine cabinet to seek a high they previously thought was out of their reach. As a result, prescription drugs have become the new target for crime.
A recent Silive report shows this is a significant problem on Staten Island. In fact, according to data collected on the area, doctors and medical professionals completed nearly 115,000 prescriptions for the painkiller oxycodone last year alone. This number is far higher per capita than any other borough, demonstrating the heavy opiate use in the area.
According to the state Department of Health prescription data on Staten Island, 115,000 prescriptions is the equivalent of one prescription for every four to five people living there. While many of these prescriptions do go to repeat patients who are seeking refills each month, there are still 2,200 prescriptions filled every week.
With this growing problem come the headlines of addicts using forgery, trickery and theft to get their hands on the pills they need to feed their addiction. Many doctor shop to find the physician who will write the prescription for their phantom pain.
Numbers such as these support the argument for a nationwide monitoring system that can track the prescriptions given to individuals. While trickery and forgery are likely to still occur, it would at least provide medical professionals with the means to track the prescription-related activities of individuals trying to circumvent the system.
