New Hampshire's attorney general has started to push the state to develop a centralized database tracking frequently-abused prescription medications such as painkillers and stimulants. Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is calling for the database to be developed, in part, because over the past two years, drug abuse deaths have exceeded traffic deaths in the state. Ayotte would like to establish the database to allow physicians and pharmacists to see whether patients have already gotten a prescription for these abused drugs elsewhere, a practice commonly known as "doctor shopping." To date, legislators in the state have rejected this notion. However, officials in other states have already established similar databases. For example, one Wisconsin county has worked to establish a database allowing area doctors to track painkiller scripts.
To learn more about the NH initiative:
- read this Modern Healthcare article (reg. req.)
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