To fight Florida’s “pill mills,” U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is pushing for a change in federal law that would make it harder to get refills on hydrocodone, one of the most addictive prescription drugs, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports. While that kind of abuse is a huge problem in Florida, several other lawmakers are expected to join Buchanan’s cause and support tougher rules for pain pills.
Meanwhile, the feds are trying to crack down in another way: The Drug Enforcement Administration is trying to put a stop to a busy Walgreens distribution center they say has filled too many suspicious orders for powerful painkillers, McClatchy Newspapers reports.