Florida, often seen as the epicenter of the nation's "pill mill" epidemic, has seen a 97 percent decrease in oxycodone purchases by state physicians since 2010, according to a DEA report.
In 2010, the DEA's Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System reported that 90 of the top 100 oxycodone purchasing physicians in the nation were located in Florida. In 2011, that number dropped to 13. According to the report, there has been an increase in purchases in Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. The DEA attributes the decrease to law enforcement activity, regulatory actions against physicians' licenses and new laws that force addicts who previously traveled from other states to Florida seeking oxycodone to turn elsewhere.
Related Articles on Prescription Drug Abuse:
Study: Targeted Steroid Injections Relieve Pain, Reduce Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pain Management Physician on the Move: Dr. Robert W. Giering Joins Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
5 Points on Targeted Injections With Dr. Michael Port of DISC Sports and Spine Center
Related Articles on Prescription Drug Abuse:
Study: Targeted Steroid Injections Relieve Pain, Reduce Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pain Management Physician on the Move: Dr. Robert W. Giering Joins Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
5 Points on Targeted Injections With Dr. Michael Port of DISC Sports and Spine Center