The number of accounts registered with Kentucky’s prescription monitoring program has more than doubled since the passage of a state law requiring doctors, nurses, and dentists to use KASPER before prescribing a controlled substance.
State lawmakers approved House Bill 1 earlier this year in an effort to combat the widespread abuse of painkillers across the Commonwealth.
In announcing the latest KASPER figures today, Governor Steve Beshear emphasized that the goal is to shut down doctor shopping and pill mills, not prevent patients from getting legitimate treatment. He says,
“If you need a prescription, you’ll get your medicine. If you prescribe with the right intent, you have nothing to fear.”
Attorney General Jack Conway says a memorandum of understanding has been signed by his office, medical licensure boards, and law enforcement agencies to help identify and investigate rogue pain clinics. Conway says,
“Because of the provisions in HB 1 that require these agencies to notify one another when they have a complaint, we have set up a central reporting system and now law enforcement can share the data that will helps us to do our jobs and make Kentucky a safer place.”
Officials say nearly 1,000 people in Kentucky die each year from drug overdoses.
