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Pubdate: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2002 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 PROJECT TARGETS DRUG ABUSE Harlan, Perry To Get Bar-code Program LOUISVILLE - Kentucky will receive about $240,000 to start a pilot program to battle prescription drug abuse in Harlan and Perry counties. Kentucky is one of nine states that will share a $2 million federal grant to enhance or begin programs that detect prescription drug abuse. Neighboring Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia will obtain money to begin similar detection programs. Pennsylvania, California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Utah also will share the grant. Under Kentucky's program, doctors would write prescriptions on bar-coded paper, allowing pharmacists to scan the information, said Scott Render, a spokesman for the Governor's Office for Technology. It would allow for immediate recording of pharmacy transactions, an improvement over the month delay in getting data from Kentucky's current prescription tracking program. Kentucky started a program three years ago called KASPER -- Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting -- to track controlled substances dispensed by pharmacists. Despite KASPER, drug abuse remained prevalent along the state's border since five neighboring states do not monitor sales of potent painkillers such as hydrocodone and OxyContin. An analysis of autopsy reports nationwide showed OxyContin was involved in 464 deaths, with one-fourth of those in Kentucky and Virginia, the Drug Enforcement Administration reported in February. "The problem is acute in my district," said U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, who represents eastern and southern Kentucky. "In my 22 years in Congress, I have not seen anything as pervasive and destructive." Critics of the pilot program say it would make it difficult for physicians to share information and identify "doctor shoppers," addicts who visit multiple doctors to get prescriptions. "Law enforcement can put them in jail, but physicians, we can prevent it," said Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti, who practices in Paducah and is president of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Since the state programs are not uniform, they provide no assurance that doctors and pharmacists will have easy access to information collected, Manchikanti said. Instead, the group supports legislation to create a national prescription drug monitoring program, which is expected to be introduced in January by U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield. The program would create a federal database and give physicians access to other state's information. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)