DEAR EDITOR:
The painkiller abuse epidemic that is sweeping throughout Ohio has not gone unnoticed by state legislators. There have been town hall meetings hosted by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services in my district discussing actions to minimize the misuse of prescription drugs.
This General Assembly, my colleague Sen. Dave Burke (R-Marysville) and I introduced SB 301, which authorizes the state Medical Board to inspect a pain management clinic or facility suspected of operating as a pain management clinic without a license, as well as changing the criteria for determining whether a facility is subject to licensure as a pain management clinic.
The bill also will modify the laws governing submission to and requests for information from the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System, along with modifying the disciplinary action that may be taken by the state Board of Pharmacy, state Medical Board, and state Dental Board. SB 301 passed the Senate unanimously and is waiting to be heard in the House of Representatives hopefully before the end of this General Assembly.
This legislation is a step in the right direction toward reducing the prescription drug problem in Ohio, but we will continue to work toward the ultimate goal of keeping all Ohioans healthy, safe and drug free.
Capri Cafaro
State Senator
D-Hubbard