The average Tennesseean has 16 prescriptions. That’s the second highest in the nation after West Virginia, but it’s also a slight decline from 18 prescriptions per person just three years ago.
More prescriptions written means more opportunity for prescription drug abuse, something Tennessee started fighting four years ago with a database that tracks controlled substances, such as hydrocodone.
Baeteena Black is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association. She pushed hard for the database and says now there are more than 7,000 prescribers using it to enter information. In turn, that means more eyes that can watch for an emerging pattern of possible abuse.
“Certainly, if you see a patient seeing multiple physicians, multiple pharmacies, that immediately raises a red flag. If you look at patients who, continually, even if they’re just using one pharmacy, who always come in a few days early and need their prescriptions filled early, then that’s a red flag.”
The controlled substances database is a voluntary tool that tracks information on who’s writing and getting powerful prescription drugs. It was started four years ago to help identify prescription drug abusers.
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