Alarming Prescribed Drug Addiction in Florida

Florida rehab programs have been providing various drug addiction programs like heroin addiction treatment, opiate addiction treatment and prescription medication detox. In most cases, inpatient rehab is treated because of addiction to prescribed drugs. In the state of Florida, there has been a tremendous rise in prescription drug addiction. One of the major reasons is that, unlike many other states in the U.S., Florida doesn’t have a strict policy regarding drug prescription. There is also no proper system that would track who’s being prescribed what. This opens the door to “doctor shopping” – an individual go from one doctor to another making up stories about his symptoms in order to get painkillers, tranquilizer, and so on. And neither the doctor nor the pharmacists who fills up these prescriptions have any idea that the patient got the same drug from five other doctors and five other pharmacists earlier that day. Because of that, there is a high possibility that these prescribed drugs are sold to other who might also have a drug problem. Understandably, Florida drug rehabs have placed their focus on prescribed drug addiction treatment.

There have been several proposal pushed in the state to combat this problem. One of which is the drug prescription monitoring program wherein most states have already adopted. This program gives doctors and other health professionals, as well as law enforcement, access to information about prescriptions being given to individuals. In this way, doctors or pharmacist that prescribed the medicine could check on the database whether there is an abuse to these prescribed drugs. And if the records the doctors or pharmacist see an indication of drug abuse, they can refuse to prescribe the drug. They may also recommend the patient to seek counseling and get help through inpatient rehabilitation.

This program could have a significant impact on the prevention and treatment of prescription drug addiction and abuse in Florida. And probably, this program may keep those drugs out of the hands of someone you care about.