A recent study revealed the biggest reduction in the number of prescription drug-related deaths in Florida in a decade.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), who recently authored legislation to help fight the rise in prescription drug abuse and diversion, commended state officials for their work on the issue.
“It is truly a remarkable success,” Buchanan said. “We are one step closer to curbing an epidemic that wreaks havoc on countless families and communities across our state.”
The FDA and DEA recently adopted a proposal introduced by Buchanan to reschedule hydrocodone combination drugs from schedule III to schedule II, which make them more difficult to prescribe and obtain. Following a 60-day period for public comments, the DEA will review comments and set an effective date for the rescheduling of the drugs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Tom Frieden said the agency’s recent study demonstrates how effective state action can be in curbing prescription drug abuse.
Fatalities involving narcotic painkillers dropped by 26 percent from 2010 to 2012 in response to a state crackdown on pill mills, according to the CDC study.
“These changes may well represent the first documented substantial decline in drug overdose mortality in any state in the past 10 years,” Frieden said.