Health

Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press Writer
BOSTON (AP) ― Tamper-proof prescription pads, jail diversion programs and school-based drug counselors are some of the steps Massachusetts should adopt to stem OxyContin and heroin overdoses, according to a new report.

Massachusetts has seen a troubling surge in the number of deaths related to the drugs. Between 2002 and 2007, 3,265 Massachusetts residents died of opiate-related overdoses.

The number of nonfatal overdoses has also soared from 8,000 in 1996 to more than 18,000 in 2005, according to the Department of Public Health.

The state needs to launch a multi-pronged effort to reverse the trend, according to a report, released Thursday, by a legislative panel.

"Because of the stigma surrounding substance abuse, this epidemic is left in the shadows," the report by the 13-member Massachusetts OxyContin and Heroin Commission said. "Little light has been put upon reforming the policies involving substance abuse."

Some of the recommendations are aimed at making it harder for those addicted to opiates to illegally obtain the drugs.

Those include requiring all prescriptions for controlled substances be written on official state prescription pads. The pads would be made of tamper-resistant paper that could not be erased to change dosages or photocopied to make multiple prescriptions.

The report also recommends overhauling the state's prescription monitoring program, charged with stopping fraud and reducing the availability of illicit prescription drugs.

Other recommendations would increase the level of drug treatment programs in the criminal justice system. Top among those are "jail diversion" programs that give low-level drug offenders the option of going into a 90-day inpatient treatment program followed by a year of case management instead of jail.

The report also supports giving the state the option of requiring anyone leaving prison to attend a treatment program and allowing those awaiting trial to also participate in substance abuse intervention programs.

The report includes recommendations designed to strengthen the hands of parents and schools and to encourage the reporting of drug overdoses by those who may also be addicted.

All middle and high schools should have licensed drug and alcohol counselors present and drug awareness programs must be updated to include information about prescription drugs. The state should also increase the number of "recovery high schools" for students trying to get clean.

The report urges lawmakers to approve legislation requiring hospitals to report to parents whenever their child experiences even a minor overdose. Minors can now check themselves out of the hospital without a parent being informed.

Another recommendation would give limited immunity from drug possession charges to anyone who witnesses a drug-related overdose and calls for help.

Several bills aimed at easing the rise in overdoses have already been filed at the Statehouse.

One would require doctors treating someone for an overdose to report to the Department of Public Health the type of drug used and the patient's age, race, gender and hometown, while keeping their identity private.

The goal is to help spot trends.

"The crisis surrounding addiction and the new wave of prescription drug abuse is constantly evolving and as a state we have a duty to our citizens to provide comprehensive programs and treatment," the report said.

(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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