{Lexington, Kentucky}...According to a new study by the University of Kentucky, during the 2000s, narcotics were prescribed to adult Medicaid patients in Kentucky more than any other class of drug. The study found that patients in eastern Kentucky received double or triple the quantity of narcotics that patients got in most other Kentucky counties. UK's Center for Business and Economic Research found that, from 2000 to 2010, more than 3.8 million prescriptions for narcotics were written for adults, costing the Medicaid program $212 million. Martin County led the state in narcotics prescriptions with 26,609 grams prescribed per 1,000 member-years of Medicaid. Shelby County had the lowest figure, 2,218 grams per 1,000 member-years of Medicaid.Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Narcotics Costly For Medicaid Program
{Lexington, Kentucky}...According to a new study by the University of Kentucky, during the 2000s, narcotics were prescribed to adult Medicaid patients in Kentucky more than any other class of drug. The study found that patients in eastern Kentucky received double or triple the quantity of narcotics that patients got in most other Kentucky counties. UK's Center for Business and Economic Research found that, from 2000 to 2010, more than 3.8 million prescriptions for narcotics were written for adults, costing the Medicaid program $212 million. Martin County led the state in narcotics prescriptions with 26,609 grams prescribed per 1,000 member-years of Medicaid. Shelby County had the lowest figure, 2,218 grams per 1,000 member-years of Medicaid.