Speculation surrounding the cause of pop star Whitney Houston's death is a tragic reminder of the dangers of combining prescription drugs with each other, as well as with alcohol. Although I've spoken on this topic numerous times in the past, the recent death of Houston prompted me to inform my constituents of the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Many people, especially young people, mistakenly think it is safer to abuse prescription medications than illegal street drugs.

Research indicates that teen drug abusers generally sneak prescription drugs from their family's medicine cabinets without parents or grandparents even knowing. More often, family members forget about old painkillers tucked in the back of a medicine cabinet, or simply don't notice when a few pills are missing. It's vital for people who are prescribed these drugs to keep track of painkillers and count their stock.

A drug treatment counselor has told me when addicts run out of prescription drugs, like oxycodone, they often turn to dangerous illegal street drugs, like heroin, to get their fix. He said it's alarming to see addicts come into the treatment facilities with multiple prescription drugs in their systems because they bounce from doctor to doctor to feed their habits or make a small fortune peddling the meds.

That's why, in an effort to help combat rising drug abuse and accidental deaths from overdoses or lethal combinations, I support legislation that would create a pharmaceutical prescription drug database. House Bill 1651 would allow pharmacists and law enforcement the ability to find via a secure website whether or not a particular individual is having multiple prescriptions for highly addictive drugs filled at multiple pharmacies.

Pennsylvania is one of the few states without such a monitoring program available to physicians and pharmacies, and the need is evident within our own community in Carbon County. As a member of the House Human Services Committee, I voted in support of this legislation and look forward to voting on it on the full House floor.

Carbon County Coroner Bruce Nalesnik said there's been a sharp increase in drug overdose-related deaths since he took office in 1996. The problem is, there is a huge amount of pills floating around the county and most of these "accidental" overdose deaths involved instances of drugs knowingly being abused, with the person then mixing them or taking too much of one drug, resulting in death. Mixed drug toxicity deaths are the most common form of drug-related causes of death in Carbon County, and the coroner said it's mostly as a result of people lacking information to let them know that mixing a small amount of each drug creates a "toxic cocktail", often resulting in permanent brain damage and/or death.

In 2007, four adults died of drug overdoses in Carbon County. That figured spiked significantly in 2010, when 18 Carbon County people, including one person under the age of 21, died of drug overdoses.

The problem of accidental prescription overdose hits home for two mothers in my district. Karen Flexer's son Brett's tragic death occurred after he took half of an unknown pill at a party. When combined with alcohol, it caused his accidental death. Similarly, Lisa Shiffert of Coaldale lost her son, Cody Wentz, to a prescription drug overdose last year.

In an effort to avoid more deaths like these, House Bill 1651 would:

Create a database to enable informed and responsible prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances and to reduce diversion and misuse of the drugs of concern.

Pinpoint the potential for abuse and misuse of prescription drugs, namely those that are highly addictive controlled substances like pain relievers.

Enable doctors and pharmacists to keep track of dangerous prescription drugs and be alerted if someone is suspected of "doctor shopping" or "pharmacy shopping."

Encourage treatment for the people who are identified as having an addiction problem and call for continuing medical education for prescribing health care providers to learn more about identification, referral and treatment of addiction.

Currently, a smaller scale registry exists with the Office of the Attorney General for criminal investigations. I believe a broader registry would not only help with investigations but would help prevent drug abuse or catch it in its earliest stages so that individuals can receive prompt and appropriate treatment.

In total, 47 other states are monitoring prescriptions in some way now, and the U.S. government is likely to support interstate communication in the near future. The bill has language to allow communication between states so Pennsylvania can also help people who live near a border with another state, many of whom seek treatment in the other states near their residence.

Because leftover and unused pharmaceuticals are a hazard for abuse and misuse, particularly by young people, pharmacies including Rite Aid and CVS offer their customers a method to safely dispose of unused, outdated or unwanted medications. Both pharmacies now have specially designed disposal envelopes available for purchase.

Customers can place unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications in the envelope. Once sealed and placed in any U.S. Postal Service mailbox, the envelope is sent to an approved medication incinerator, where a licensed law enforcement official oversees the safe and environmentally friendly disposal process. Postage is included in the cost of the envelope, which is $3.99. 

As Carbon County's voice in Harrisburg, I'll continue to push for legislation which best serves the needs of my constituents. As these issues and legislative pieces progress in upcoming months, I'll continue to keep my district informed.