In The News
Athens, GA – November 2011
Healthcare Providers and Law Enforcement Join Together for Prescription Drug Abuse Forum
Members of the local healthcare and law enforcement communities are looking for ways to change a dangerous trend.
If you have opened a newspaper or turned on the television lately it is likely you’ve heard prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions, particularly in our local area and surrounding counties. According to a report dated July 2011, an analysis of autopsies performed by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in 152 counties, which drug overdose was the cause of death, found there was a 10% increase in the number of prescription overdose deaths in 2010 compared to 2009. Eighty-six percent of the 2010 deaths involved prescription drugs.
Recently a local physician, D. Janene Holladay, M.D. of Spine Care & Pain Management, attended an event, organized by the Ty Cobb Healthcare System in Hartwell, GA, that was focused on aiding in communication between healthcare professionals and law enforcement agencies on prescription drug abuse. At that time Dr. Holladay recognized the need for a goal directed, healthcare program in Clarke County and the surrounding areas; a prescription drug abuse forum was organized. The event took place at the Classic Center in Athens on Thursday, November 3, 2011. Those invited to participate were Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Dentists, Pharmacists and Law Enforcement Personnel from Clarke, Oconee, Jackson, Barrow, Walton and Oglethorpe Counties. Nearly 200 people were in attendance.
“We want to provide information healthcare providers can use to change this dangerous trend that is affecting our communities, families and neighbors”, said Dr. Holladay. She went on to say, “Patients, pharmacists, and healthcare providers
all play a role in preventing and detecting prescription drug abuse. This program gave individuals information on recognizing and avoiding abuse. Hopefully they can apply some of those things in their own practices.”
Speakers at the event, which included, Special Agent in Charge, Jim Fullington of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Director Rick Allen and Special Agent Joe Arp, both of the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, discussed issues that directly relate to the healthcare community. Director Allen also provided information on the recently passed Senate Bill 36, which provides for the establishment of a program to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances. Staggering statistics about the increase of “pill-mills” in the state of Georgia were also shared.
Sponsors of this event were Spine Care & Pain Management, Millennium Laboratories, Medtronic- a medical technology company, Pinnacle Bank and Open MRI & Imaging of Athens.
Dr. Holladay, board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine, would also like patients to know they can help prevent prescription drug abuse too by doing the following:
- Provide a complete medical history and an accurate description of symptoms to your doctor to ensure he or she understands the complaint and can prescribe appropriate medication.
- If a doctor prescribes medicine, follow the directions for use carefully and learn about the effects that the drug could have, especially during the first few days during in which the body is adapting to the medication.
- Be aware of potential interactions with other drugs.
- Do not increase or decrease doses or abruptly stop taking a drug without consulting your health care provider first.
- Never use another person's prescription.
- Properly dispose of unused medications to avoid the possibility of others abusing them.
In The News
Athens, GA – November 2011
Healthcare Providers and Law Enforcement Join Together for Prescription Drug Abuse Forum
Members of the local healthcare and law enforcement communities are looking for ways to change a dangerous trend.
If you have opened a newspaper or turned on the television lately it is likely you’ve heard prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions, particularly in our local area and surrounding counties. According to a report dated July 2011, an analysis of autopsies performed by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in 152 counties, which drug overdose was the cause of death, found there was a 10% increase in the number of prescription overdose deaths in 2010 compared to 2009. Eighty-six percent of the 2010 deaths involved prescription drugs.
Recently a local physician, D. Janene Holladay, M.D. of Spine Care & Pain Management, attended an event, organized by the Ty Cobb Healthcare System in Hartwell, GA, that was focused on aiding in communication between healthcare professionals and law enforcement agencies on prescription drug abuse. At that time Dr. Holladay recognized the need for a goal directed, healthcare program in Clarke County and the surrounding areas; a prescription drug abuse forum was organized. The event took place at the Classic Center in Athens on Thursday, November 3, 2011. Those invited to participate were Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Dentists, Pharmacists and Law Enforcement Personnel from Clarke, Oconee, Jackson, Barrow, Walton and Oglethorpe Counties. Nearly 200 people were in attendance.
“We want to provide information healthcare providers can use to change this dangerous trend that is affecting our communities, families and neighbors”, said Dr. Holladay. She went on to say, “Patients, pharmacists, and healthcare providers
all play a role in preventing and detecting prescription drug abuse. This program gave individuals information on recognizing and avoiding abuse. Hopefully they can apply some of those things in their own practices.”
Speakers at the event, which included, Special Agent in Charge, Jim Fullington of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Director Rick Allen and Special Agent Joe Arp, both of the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, discussed issues that directly relate to the healthcare community. Director Allen also provided information on the recently passed Senate Bill 36, which provides for the establishment of a program to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances. Staggering statistics about the increase of “pill-mills” in the state of Georgia were also shared.
Sponsors of this event were Spine Care & Pain Management, Millennium Laboratories, Medtronic- a medical technology company, Pinnacle Bank and Open MRI & Imaging of Athens.
Dr. Holladay, board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine, would also like patients to know they can help prevent prescription drug abuse too by doing the following:
- Provide a complete medical history and an accurate description of symptoms to your doctor to ensure he or she understands the complaint and can prescribe appropriate medication.
- If a doctor prescribes medicine, follow the directions for use carefully and learn about the effects that the drug could have, especially during the first few days during in which the body is adapting to the medication.
- Be aware of potential interactions with other drugs.
- Do not increase or decrease doses or abruptly stop taking a drug without consulting your health care provider first.
- Never use another person's prescription.
- Properly dispose of unused medications to avoid the possibility of others abusing them.