After
weeks of studying Vermont’s prescription drug problem, House lawmakers on
Thursday advanced a sweeping bill that would address opiate addiction and
abuse.
Spurred by stories of addiction from across the state, lawmakers this
week are voting out of committees a wide-ranging bill aimed at
minimizing the effects of opiate use on the health and safety of
Vermonters.
A new research paper shows doctors in Vermont are feeling the stress of being on the front lines of
the fight against prescription drug abuse. The report lays out several
recommendations – including changing insurance policies so that non-drug
therapies are covered.
Drug
related crimes have escalated across Vermont
– mostly because of a surge in heroin and prescription drug abuse. In the second part of our series, VPR’s Nina Keck reports for
Rutland it’s the northwest part of the city that’s struggling most with
drug-related crime.
Vermont, Maine
and New Hampshire will get a total of $9.6 million as part
of a nationwide settlement between the drug company Johnson & Johnson and dozens
of states.
One of the key issues facing
lawmakers before adjournment involves access to the state’s prescription drug
database by law enforcement officials. The House is insisting that the police get a warrant from a judge before
using the database but the Senate is arguing that the warrant isn’t needed.
The Vermont Senate has
given its final approval to legislation that backers say is needed to combat an
epidemic of prescription drug abuse in the state.