Baker Unveils Plan To Fight Prescription Drug Abuse
BOSTON (AP) — Calling it a public health emergency, Gov. Charlie Baker has unveiled the first steps his administration plans to take in fighting heroin and prescription drug abuse and addiction.
During a stop Thursday at the Hope House treatment center in Boston, the governor announced the first-ever public release of data the state collects on the number of prescriptions written for painkillers and overdose deaths in each county.
Baker says the information will help identify "concerning" behavior, such as the number of people who are receiving opioid prescriptions from different doctors and having them dispensed from different pharmacies.
The governor also has formed a 16-member task force assigned to develop a statewide strategy for dealing with addiction, treatment and recovery. The group will hold four public hearings and submit recommendations in May.
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