Prescription Drugs

Wilkes Co. Program To Curb Drug Overdose Deaths Goes Statewide

Catherine Brand — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:06:58 +0000

In 2009, Wilkes County in the northwestern part of the state had the 4^th highest rate of prescription drug overdose deaths in the country. Two years later, those numbers dropped by 68 percent. That's because of a program called Project Lazarus, which is now going to be implemented statewide.

System To Track Prescription Drugs Underused

Catherine Brand — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Prescription drug overdose kills an average of three people per day in North Carolina.

Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill say a statewide system designed to reduce those numbers – North Carolina Controlled Substances Reporting System (CSRS) – is effective - but grossly underused.

CSRS went into effect in 2007, following a legislative mandate, but of the 34,000 providers authorized to prescribe controlled substances, only a third have registered with the CSRS, and fewer than half of those actually use it.

Drug Database Gets Little Use From Pharmacists

Gurnal Scott — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 23:15:00 +0000

State health officials want to know if low use of a prescription drug database is leading to more deaths in North Carolina.

Guidelines For Rationing Drugs Recommended

Eric Hodge — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Duke University medical officials have come up with guidelines for allocating scarce drugs. Supplies of some cancer medications and other drugs can sometimes run low at hospitals. Doctor Phillip Rosoff is the Director of Clinical Ethics at Duke University Medical Center. He says the protocol focuses on fairness.