Lawmakers Consider Requiring Locking Devices For Prescription Painkillers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Experts have asked state lawmakers to require locking containers for prescription painkillers, to help prevent theft and abuse.
The Illinois House Health Care Licenses Committee in Springfield heard testimony on possible legislation Wednesday morning.
Pharmacist Kevin Gorospe, a consultant who served 10 years as pharmacy policy administrator for the California Department of Health Care Services, said the biggest abuse of prescription painkillers isn't the result of fraudulent prescriptions, but people stealing from legitimate users.
"According to the National Survey on Health, in the years 2012 and 2013, more than 60 percent of the non-medical users of opioids obtained those drugs from friends or family members," he said.
Nick Gore, of Bartlett, said his path to heroin addiction started with him stealing painkillers from his grandparents and their friends.
"What I was doing, I knew was wrong, but understanding the difference took a back seat when my disease took over. By requiring locking devices on all Schedule II prescriptions, this potentially could have been avoided," Gore said.
Requiring locking devices for Schedule II drugs – which are defined as having a high potential for abuse – could increase the cost of prescriptions, but experts said the required containers might be covered by insurance or Medicaid.
Lawmakers took no action on any proposals to require such locking containers, but said they would use the testimony to help craft possible legislation in the future.