Bob Dillinger, public defender for the 6th Judicial Circuit, says prescription drug abuse has grown to epidemic proportions.
PINELLAS PARK - Prescription drug abuse in Pinellas County has risen to “epidemic proportions,” to a startling 500 percent since 2005.
The result is more arrests, addictions, medical problems and deaths.
Bob Dillinger, public defender for the 6th Judicial Circuit, said much of the illicit drugs involve pain killers “that are killing people in an unmitagating fashion.”
Dillinger said prescription drug abuse crosses all age, economic and racial borders. Abusers range from elementary school children to senior citizens.
“The public needs to realize the seriousness of the situation,” Dillinger said. “The problem of prescription drugs has been going on for years, but it is just recently that the abuse and death rate has been increasing more than usual.”
Dillinger said the prescription drug epidemic began decades ago when a Montana doctor began prescribing pills with little or no consultations. People would contact him with faux medical issues and for a fee he would write a prescription for oxycodone and other pain killers.
Today, doctors and clinics advertise “pain management” prescriptions. One publication runs a full page of advertisements for clinics and individuals that offer such things as “Medical Pain Management,” “Chronic Pain Relief” and on-site dispensing of prescription drugs.
The Internet, Dillinger said, offers all types of prescription drugs.
“You can get anything online,” he said.
Indeed, a check showed that pain killers, sexual enhancement and other prescription drugs can be purchased without a true doctor’s prescription.
Law enforcement agencies in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and other counties have stepped up enforcement of drug prescription laws. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office created the Prescription Drug Diversion Unit under the command of Capt. Robert Alfonso.
So-called medical clinics have sprung up all over the nation. Florida is second behind California when it comes to prescription drug abuse and distribution.
Much of the problem, officials say, stems from the fact that a prescription drug monitoring system is nonexistent in the Sunshine State. Florida has a reputation as a haven for out of state prescription drug buyers and leads the nation in the sale and distribution of oxycodone.
The Tampa Bay area is second on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of problem areas.
“You can go into any drug court and find few cases involving cocaine, heroin and crack,” Dillinger said. “Today most of the cases embrace prescription drugs such as oxycodone.”
Oxycodone, once considered a miracle anti-pain drug, today sells on the streets for between $5 and $50 per pill. Or you can go to any number of so-called “medical clinics” or “pill mills” located in many Pinellas County communities.
Some pain killers are time release capsules. Abusers are smart enough to remove the small time release particles and use them to achieve their highs. Some nonprescription herbal medications also are abused.
“Clinics and individual doctors are making a fortune on prescription drugs,” Dillinger said. “One clinic in Largo earns $6,000 daily, in cash, on prescription drugs.”
Dillinger said lines form every morning in front of a Pinellas Park drug store where people, with prescriptions in hand, obtain their pain killers.
“We are not talking about the CVS and Walgreen’s,” he said. “We are talking about small independent pharmacies that fill prescriptions for people using the excuses of back pains and such to obtain their drugs.”
In some cases, Dillinger said, abusers don’t even have to pay for prescriptions. They make a deal with a doctor, clinic or distributors for a percentage of the pills in a prescription.
“An individual might get 100 oxycodone pills in his prescription,” Dillinger said. “He or she might have to give away half or more of the pills as payment and use the rest to deal with his habit.”
Dillinger said he and law enforcement authorities just recently visited a Pinellas Park shop to inquire about the sale of what could be construed as drug paraphernalia. The store sells, among other questionable items, utensils used for baking. The items also are used by drug abusers. The owner demanded that Dillinger and his people leave, Dillinger said.
They did, due to the lack of strong laws that could end the sales of most items connected with the drug trade.
Strong legislation to harness the prescription drug problem is exactly what Dillinger and law enforcement officials say are needed. Lawmakers in Tallahassee are mulling over two bills that would do just that.
HB-225 would prohibit doctors from dispensing more than a three-day supply of certain drugs to cash-paying customers. Another proposal in the senate, SB-2272, would stop convicted felons and doctors with prescription drug violations on their record to own and/or operate pain clinics.
The Senate proposal also calls for background checks on doctors and nonmedical clinic owners and allow the Florida Department of Health to look at patient records to determine what violations, if any, might have been committed.
“Authorities can really do little without stronger laws to stop Florida’s drug prescription problems,” Dillinger said. “We must address this issue before it is too late.”
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