New U.S. attorney targeting opioid crisis

The illegal use of prescription painkillers is decreasing, but heroin and synthetic fentanyl have grown in popularity among drug users here, says the new U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. BJay Pak, who took over as U.S. attorney last month, told GHN on Tuesday that fighting the opioid epidemic is one of his…

Commentary: To fight addiction, reduce the role of opioids

This week, President Trump is expected to declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. The crisis has hit Georgia hard. More than 1,000 Georgians died in 2015 from overdosing on drugs such as hydrocodone, codeine, fentanyl, Vicodin, morphine and street drugs like heroin — a 200 percent increase since the year 2000. In a new…

Commentary: Why won’t Georgia trust its PAs?

Senate Bill 125 would have authorized Georgia doctors to delegate to physician assistants the authority to prescribe hydrocodone compound products. The legislation was vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal, who cited the ongoing opioid crisis in the state. In a new GHN Commentary, the president and board chairman of the American Academy of Physician Assistants says the…

Governor’s action on PAs is a setback for Georgia patients

Gov. Nathan Deal’s veto of legislation to allow PAs (physician assistants) to treat pain more effectively (Senate Bill 125) is an unfortunate setback for Georgians suffering from injuries and other medical emergencies. The bill would have permitted a PA to prescribe a five-day supply of hydrocodone, a common painkiller, as long as a physician with…

Overdoses from fake painkillers hit Warner Robins area

The overdoses began Saturday night in Warner Robins. All told, at least eight people have overdosed from street drugs that were believed to be counterfeit versions of Percocet, a prescription painkiller. Seven occurred in Warner Robins, with one in nearby Macon. The overdoses were eerily similar to a string of Middle Georgia poisonings in June that led…

Study finds doctors differ on government monitoring of opioids

Physicians who work in emergency rooms generally are more supportive of prescription monitoring programs than doctors in other specialties, a new Georgia State University study reports. The study, led by Eric Wright, a GSU professor of sociology and public health, comes at a time where opioid addiction has spread in Georgia and other states. States have…

Commentary: Deal’s veto of opioid prescription bill was a wise step

Last week, Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed Senate Bill 125, which would have authorized physicians in Georgia to delegate to physician assistants the authority to prescribe hydrocodone compound products. Deal cited the opioid epidemic as a reason for the veto, saying the legislation would be counter to Georgia’s efforts to halt that problem. State Rep. Jason…

Governor took the right stand in limiting opioid prescriptions

Gov. Nathan Deal acted wisely last week in vetoing SB 125, which would have given physician assistants the right to independently prescribe hydrocodone.  This dangerous opioid drug — which is used for pain relief in children, adolescents and adults — is at the heart of an increasing abuse-and-addiction epidemic. The Georgia Chapter of the American…

Commentary: Veto misguided and unfortunate

Among the bills Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed this week was Senate Bill 125, which would have authorized physicians to delegate their authority to prescribe hydrocodone compound products to physician assistants. Deal cited the growing opioid epidemic as a reason for the veto, saying the legislation would be counter to the state’s efforts to halt that…

Veto will have painful consequences for rural patients

Rural Georgians are once again bearing the brunt of myopic health care policy decisions coming from Atlanta. On Tuesday, just days after the Jenkins County Hospital closure announcement, a bill designed to restore delegated prescriptive authority to Georgia’s board-certified physician assistants (PAs) treating painful injuries and other medical emergencies was vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal….