Issue Position: Stopping Prescription Drug Abuse

Issue Position

Abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise in the U.S., and Montana is feeling the impact. It is one of the fastest growing fronts in the war on drugs here, and we need to strengthen our laws and reallocate resources to make sure we're adequately fighting a problem that's wreaking havoc in families and communities across the state. We need to ensure that our state's new prescription drug monitoring program is effectively allowing health care providers access to prescription information in order to stem practices such as "doctor shopping," while balancing prevention with privacy.

Because prescription drug abuse often starts from the medicine cabinet at home, as your Attorney General I will make sure that the Department of Justice partners with government agencies, schools, law enforcement, drug manufacturers, and others to make sure that Montanans of all ages are educated about the dangers of and ways to prevent prescription drug abuse. I will also prioritize cracking down on Internet sales of prescription drugs without a prescription or without medical necessity, providing Montanans with more avenues to report the illegal sales of prescription drugs, and helping Montanans dispose of unwanted prescription drugs to protect the environment, prevent accidental use, and stem the flow of drugs to abusers.

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