The bill also seeks to restore a few money that schools lost in a tax change vetoed from the budget by Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sik).
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The state created the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System to track the dispensing of controlled substances and monitor suspected abuse.
The goal is to prevent painkiller addicts from “doctor shopping” to get more drugs and hopefully keep them from turning to heroin.
Backers of Issue 3, however, said the proposal to legalize and regulate marijuana in Ohio would actually help the state in its efforts to counter opioid addiction. About 960 people “doctor shopped” a year ago, down from more than 3,100 in 2009.
Increasing use of the powerful opioid fentanyl, sold under the prescription names Actiq, Duragesic and Sublimaze, was a big part of the increase, accounting for more than 500 drug poisoning deaths in 2014. The funding announced Monday will make a direct link to OARRS available, speeding and streamlining the process.
Cincinnati-based Kroger is one of the first major pharmacies to integrate OARRS into their medical record system, allowing instant reports on opiate prescription history.
Fatal drug overdoses remain the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio, above auto crashes, a trend that began in 2007.
Last year, a record 2,482 people in Ohio died from accidental overdoses, an 18 percent increase over the previous year.
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Kasich is one of 10 candidates who will share the stage at the Wednesday evening debate hosted by CNBC in Boulder, Colorado. When asked Monday about options other than those drugs, Kasich said: “I don’t think that’s where we’re headed”.
