Opioid abuse usually starts with prescriptions for pain, which users become dependent on.
If you read our blog with any regularity, you’ll remember the article we posted a while ago about MAPS – the Michigan Automated Prescription System. MAPS is the state’s answer to the current opioid addiction problem. It’s an online database that tracks prescription drugs, who they were issued to, and which doctor wrote the prescription.
The idea is that if the state keeps a watchful eye on prescription drug use, we can reduce the number of people who end up battling with addiction. Over the last decade, Michigan has seen a slowly growing number of deaths as a result of opioid abuse. But according to Senator Mike Shirkey, there is something we can do about it. And these two bills are only the beginning.
The Michigan Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Task Force was created by Governor Snyder to investigate to rising instances of prescription drug abuse. In 2015 the task force came back with “more than two dozen recommendations for changes in regulations and practices that could address a growing problem in Michigan.” One of those recommendations was ‘Updating or replacing the Michigan Automated Prescription System.’ That’s where these two bills come in.
Shirkey, the chair of the Michigan Senate Health Policy Committee, says that the Committee began reviewing the bills in mid-April, however they still have a long way to go. “These bills are not the end of what we will see. Nor are these bills the end-all or solution to our problems.” Shirkey explained. “Ultimately, this is a community-level culture issue. It is not a statutory issue, but we can do some things to enable those efforts to take root and make a difference.”
Michigan’s opioid problem is a fast-growing issue!
According to the findings presented by the task force, overdose deaths resulting from prescription drug abuse in Michigan have tripled since 1999. And while the pandemic affects almost every age group, race and gender, the issue is far more serious among young adults and teenagers.
Another factor that makes this particular type of drug abuse dangerous, aside from the fact that they are both legal and readily available, is the fact that they often serve as a gateway to other addictions. The task force revealed in its findings that a growing number of people start with opioid addiction, but then move on to other illegal drugs, like heroin.
Under these two bills, every doctor in Michigan will be required by law to use MAPS. By checking the database before writing prescriptions for every patient, and by tracking every prescription they write in the system, doctors will be able to see a patient’s entire prescription history. This will allow them to see if patients have been “doctor shopping” and catch a potential addiction scenario before it becomes a problem.
Senator Tonya Schuitmaker, the lead sponsor of the two bills, says that while this particular drug epidemic has many aspects that need to be addressed here in Michigan, “This legislation is a key part to ending addiction where it often begins: in the doctor’s office.”
Drug crimes are taken so seriously in Michigan. Whether it’s the production and sale of illicit substances, the abuse of legally obtained prescription drugs, or even the purchase of legal items with the intention of making illegal drugs. Whatever the case, prosecutor’s offices all over Michigan tend to take a dim view of drug crimes, and the charges reflect their disapproval.
If you or a loved one are facing drug-related charges, contact us immediately at 866 766 5245. We will fight vigorously and persistently to protect your rights and reputation. We have handled hundreds of drug cases successfully throughout the state of Michigan, and we can help you too. Don’t wait! This is your freedom on the line, and the choices you make now will affect your future.