Painkiller prescriptions are on the decline according to new data released by the state on Monday.
According to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, 568 million painkiller pills were prescribed to patients in 2017. In 2012, 793 million painkiller pills were dispensed. That is a 30 percent decrease in prescribed pills. The data released also said there is a decrease in patients going doctor to doctor in search of pills. Director of Pharmacy at St. Rita's Medical Center Brian Latham said physicians are doing a better job at checking the patients records before prescribing more pills.
"We're working on it with Mercy Health," said Latham. "Looking at our physicians prescribing and working with the physicians to decrease prescribing narcotics and offering non opioid alternatives so that they can use those for their prescriptions."
Latham said with new laws, he hopes to see that start to play a factor in the coming years as well.
