Miyares , other AGs urge attention to dangers of diverted drugs
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Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares recently announced that he has joined the attorneys general of 10 other states in urging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to speak out on the dangers of diverted drugs (drugs prescribed for one person, who then gives them to another for whom they are not warranted).
A recent study found that 71% of Americans who abused opioids in 2016 received them through a diversion.
With the CDC creating new guidelines on opioid prescriptions, the attorneys general are listing suggestions for the health organization. The list includes the following:
• opioids not being listed as first-line treatment;
• requiring the CDC to recommend prescribers to administer toxicology tests for patients using opioid prescriptions.
• requiring that physicians be urged to prescribe the “lowest effective dosage” of a drug and note the physical quantity of pills prescribed;
“The opioid epidemic has touched the lives of Virginians in every corner of the Commonwealth," Miyares said. "To defeat and prevent it, we must address each way individuals can fall into addiction.
“Diverted drugs are a low risk and convenient way individuals access opioids.'
