County opioid prescription rates higher than nearby counties

Calhoun County is seeing more opioid prescriptions than surrounding counties, a substance abuse prevention specialist who with Community and Family Resources told the Calhoun County Board of Supervisors last week.
But those numbers might be misleading, Cory Keller said.
“We don’t know why (Calhoun County has a higher prescription rate),” Keller said. “We do want to note these counties are older counties, aging counties.”
Older populations are more likely to need pain medication, she said.
Who is required to report pain prescriptions may also make a difference in the recorded prescription rates, Calhoun County Public Health Administrator Barb Riley said Thursday.
“The prescription monitoring program is optional for physicians,” Riley said. “It’s required for pharmacists.”
Read more in the Sept. 6 edition.