Rafferty noted that prescription drug fraud and abuse are becoming a serious problem in Pennsylvania and other states, and stricter guidelines need to be in place to combat the problem.  He said prescription drug abuse accounts for approximately one-third of all drug abuse in the United States.

“According to recent national statistics, more than four million people reported using prescription medication for non-medical reasons,” he said.  “That represents a 400 percent increase since 1980.  In addition, drug abuse arrests have increased by more than 10 percent in the last four years.  Clearly, this problem is not going away -- it’s getting worse.”

Recently, PA Attorney General Jerry Pappert held a news conference in Philadelphia highlighting prescription drug addiction and overdosing problems; and specifically mentioned prescription forgery, physicians who sell prescriptions to drug abusers and doctor shopping schemes wherein patients go to a number of doctors for the same prescription. He called on the legislature to pass legislation to address these growing problems.

Rafferty’s legislation would set new guidelines for dispensing and monitoring prescription drug use. Among them:

The Department of Health would be required to establish procedures for regulating electronically transmitted prescriptions between practitioners who prescribe drugs and pharmacies which fill the prescription.

Prescriptions would only be issued electronically or with a new triplicate form -- with one to the patient, one to the Department of Health and one retained by the practitioner.  These “hard copy” forms would include the practitioner’s number and a serial number.

The Department of Health would be required to establish procedures and reporting requirements for pharmacies to dispense out-of-state prescriptions.

Rafferty said his proposal would help to use new technology and a more streamlined process of dispensing medication to more carefully track prescription drug use and to ensure that drugs are being dispensed correctly.

“People often think of heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana when we talk about drug abuse,” Rafferty said.  “But in so many cases, it involves the abuse and misuse of pain killers, muscle relaxants and other commonly prescribed drugs.”