Florida No. 1 in oxycodone – by far

[madinmaryland]

Florida distributed more than a half-billion doses of the pain drug oxycodone in 2009, twice as many as the next nearest state and up sharply from the previous year, newly obtained federal figures show.

Rogue pain clinics were booming that year in South Florida, developing into the industry that is now the top supplier of narcotic pills — especially oxycodone — to drug dealers and addicts in the Southeast. The trade has spread to Central Florida and elsewhere.

" increase in distribution of oxycodone in Florida is what we would expect to see occur with the rise in the illegal pill mill business," said Mark R. Trouville, special agent in charge for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in South Florida. The figures were developed by the DEA and are the latest available.

The number of oxycodone doses distributed in Florida jumped 25 percent in 2009 to 523 million, up 100 million from 2008. By comparison, the No. 2 state for the drug was Pennsylvania at 267 million pills; the national supply rose 11 percent that year.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/fl-hk-pain-clinic-doses-20110307,0,2001719.story

Amazing what having Rush Limbaugh living in your state does for your oxycontin statistics!

[joeybee12]

1. Hey, the suppliers are just going where the market is! nt

[tridim]

2. Meh, nobody cares.

Just be sure not to get caught with an evil joint, that's infinitely worse than Opioid addiction. Our government sez so.

[varkam]

3. Why Florida? Is it something about the demographics, the regulations, or something else?

:shrug:

[Mz Pip]

5. Doesn't Rush live there?

[Hugabear]

7. Because it's easy as fuck to get prescription meds in Florida

Florida is one of the few states that hasn't implemented a prescription drug database, and Gov. Rick Scott has decided that he's dead set against it - he sees it as "government intrusion".

Surely it's just a coincidence that Rush Limbaugh makes his home here :sarcasm:

[varkam]

8. Well that makes sense -- no database makes doctor shopping super easy.

Thanks for the info!

[Nevernose]

10. Until this year FL was the only state w/o a prescription registry

They were the only place you could go for industrial grade doctor trolling. If you paid cash, you could go to 10 pill mills a day and no one would know. This according to an episode of Vangaurd on CurrentTV.

It's my understanding that the law changes in 2011, though whether it already has or won't be until later I don't know. As soon as it is, doctor shopping of that level should end.

Junkies make it so damn hard for nornal people with pain to get legitimate meds, by the way.

[Hugabear]

13. We still don't have one - and Gov. Rick Scott doesn't want one

The database is available, it's already set up, and law enforcement agencies around the state are begging for it. But Rick Scott is refusing to fund its implementation, even over the objections from his own party. About the only people supporting him on this one are the extremist teabaggers

[Nevernose]

16. Holy shit.

That's just...I don't really have the words for it. I'm reaching for "stupid" and "crazy," but those don't really cover it, do they?

I do know that the oxy problem is probably great for Florida, economically. There's lots of jobs in rehabs, and people come from all over the country for Florida's prescription drugs. Maybe your governor should fund a commercial to attract tourists? "Great beaches, Disneyworld, cheap synthetic heroin, perfect weather: why not come to Florida on your vacation?"

[Hugabear]

18. And still no medical marijuana - ain't that just the greatest

Yep, you can get yourself all the oxy you want, but medical pot - hell-fucking-no

[mod mom]

4. Because Rush lives there?

[rucky]

14. He's blowing the curve.

[HockeyMom]

6. Doctors give this out like CANDY in Florida

Got PAIN they will get you just about ANYTHING. I know a man who got hooked on this after a back operation because his doctor kept giving him scripts over and over and over.

Same thing almost happened to my husband after his hip operation. I read him the riot act about how he was "nodding out" and getting hooked on this. When he tried to stop on his own after only two weeks on this, he went through withdrawal symptoms.

Oh, it isn't just narcotics either here in Florida. They OVERMEDICATE here for everything. I almost went blind because they over prescribed CIPRO to me. As another doctor put it, "They medicated you as a 100 lb. woman as if you were a 200 lb. man.

[Dappleganger]

21. Certain ones do, but in my experience here over the past decade

is that many of them who are considered to be "top" in their profession in this area DO monitor in their own way how much they give to patients. That's because these particular doctors care about their reputation and they don't want addict-patients clogging up their waiting areas. Now that is not to say it doesn't happen w/better doctors but from what I've heard they keep a better lid on it.

And I do know back/neck pain...have had a multi-level cervical fusion and have been battling a 4-level herniated disc/stenosis for awhile. Have been through multiple instances where serious pain meds (including oxy) were necessary, and not one time did I ever feel as if the doctors were too quick to hand these out. The "doctors" who are involved with pill mills aren't being monitored by the state as they should be, however. The state medical board has seriously failed in their duty to the public to keep us safe.

And these jerks who want to yank the pill mill regs and database obviously don't have one in their neighborhood. You do NOT want to live near one of these!

[HockeyMom]

24. "Take as NEEDED"

THAT is what lead to the abuse. What the hell is needed? Americans are an over medicated society. The majority cannot take any kind of pain; from toothaches, to childbirth, to operations, to "old age" pain. This is the problem and far too many doctors feed this need for PAIN RELIEF.

My husband, after he got off the oxycdone/oxycontin (BOTH) was furious at his doctor and told him so. "Why didn't you TELL me this was so addictive?" Buyer Beware. It is up to the consumer to check into this, and maybe say NO. I most certainly have going back 30 years. I have had these doctors tell me, and I quote, "How could you stand all that pain without medication?" Excuse me? What is pain to YOU, is not pain to ME.

It is partially doctors repsonsiblity to not prescribe meds that are unnecessary, and it is up to the patient to ASK and check themselves on what they are taking. Be an informed consumer and not BLINDLY follow any and everything a doctor says. Listen to your own body and what it tells YOU. YOU know YOU better than any doctor. I cannot tell you going back 40 years, and yes, I AM OLD, how many of these pain meds scripts I have torn up over these decades. I know my own body and I know what I need and what I DON'T need. No doctor can tell me whether or not I am in pain, or how much of it I CAN TAKE.

[HopeHoops]

9. Hey, Rush has needs.

[Frisbee]

11. And that's just Rush! n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. See #4, #5, #9 and #11.

[denem]

15. FUK! Older people have more uses for pain meds - arthritis, osteoporosis

cancer, a whole range of illnesses.

WHEN WILL THE AMERICAN FETISH WITH DRUGS 'SUBJECT BE ABUSE ' END?

A lady is dying in severe pain from bone cancer - she can only get vycodin. A block away dealers are selling smack When will this madness end?

Here's how to start balancing the budget - Dissolve the DEA.

[Kennah]

17. I hate the fucking stuff

Got it prescribed a couple of times, and deary do I hate it.

Makes me nauseous and causes me to piss out my butthole.

[foxfeet]

19. It's for all those people who have stubbed their toes in the sand.

Seriously, the Florida mills are pipelining hillbilly heroin into Appalachia.

[timtom]

20. And, of course, our Governor Living Dead

has blocked legislation to shut down pill mills.

[Dappleganger]

22. It's not the money, either...

I think he's afraid of being cut out of the pill mill market.

[Horse with no Name]

23. I'm sure Rush is the #1 consumer

at least he has shown himself to be an avid consumer in the past.