Hoosiers Tell Pain Clinics — “You Think Bobby Was Tough?”

Last Spring, the Indiana Legislature passed their version of a “pill mill” bill, which will give the Attorney General new enforcement powers regarding abusive clinics. In connection with this law, the Medical Licensing Board is contemplating emergency rules that will dictate physician protocols for opioid-based drugs.

Writing in The Salem Leader, Maureen Hayden notes the following pending changes:

• Pain clinics must be registered and owned/operated by individuals licensed to prescribe controlled substances,

• Enhanced screening and database reporting for certain addictive narcotics,

• Mandated urine/saliva test monitoring.

A family practice facility that earlier adopted similar screening and review criteria reports that half of the patients either did not have the prescribed drugs in their system or were using additional painkillers.

The Allen County Health Commissioner, who is also chair of the Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force, said, “The proposed rules will require doctors to take a more thoughtful and intentional approach to prescribing pain drugs. Currently doses are being escalated without any real thought.”

Indiana is doing better.  Welcome to the fight.