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Number of Painkiller Prescriptions Continues to Fall in Ohio
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The state says the number of painkiller prescriptions continues to fall as Ohio battles a deadly addictions epidemic.
Data released Monday by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy show 568 million painkiller pills were dispensed to patients last year, down nearly 30 percent from a high of 793 million in 2012.
The data also show a continuing decrease in the number of patients going from doctor to doctor in search of drugs thanks to the pharmacy board’s computerized reporting system, with an 88 percent drop since 2012.
An expanded use of that system has increased the number of checks on patients from about 66,000 a day in 2015 to almost 445,000 a day at the end of last year.
Ohio saw a record 4,050 overdose deaths last year.