Interstate task force to shut down prescription drug pipeline

Brad Ballinger

KyNewsgroup

brad@kynewsgroup.com

Looking to permanently shut down the growing prescription drug problem in Kentucky and neighboring states, Governor Steve Beshear announced the formation of an interstate task force withOhio,Tennessee, andWest Virginia.  The Interstate Prescription Drug Task Force held its first meeting inAshland.

“We have a tremendous prescription drug problem in the Commonwealth that we have battled for years. We do a good job from a law enforcement standpoint, but by working together, we can better identify prescribers, dispensers and patients who are exploiting our borders in order to abuse, misuse or divert prescription drugs,” Gov. Beshear said. “Our partnership with the governors and their law enforcement agencies in these neighboring states will give us an extremely effective tool to fight this abuse.”

Kentucky’s coalition on the task force includes representatives from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet; the Kentucky State Police; the Office of Drug Control Policy, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services,Kentucky’s Office of Homeland Security, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas or HIDTA; Operation Unite; the Governor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.

Nicholas County Sheriff Jeff Sidles said, “I am all for anything that will stop the prescription pipeline fromFlorida,Ohio,West VirginiaandTennesseetoKentucky. Every law enforcement agency in theEastern United Statesis facing this problem. Being in a small town, the effects are more personal as we see it first hand.”

“I createdKentucky’s first statewide prescription drug task force to help tackle the growing problem of abuse in our Commonwealth,” Attorney General Jack Conway said. “We’ve done a tremendous job tracking down dealers, overprescribing physicians and illegal Internet pharmacies, but we must address the problem of pills flowing intoKentuckyfrom other states.  Law enforcement officers estimate that the majority of the illegal pills inKentuckycome in across state lines. I look forward to working with our law enforcement partners inOhio,West VirginiaandTennesseeto share resources that will ultimately benefit the entire region.”

Gov. Beshear said all four states have excellent prescription monitoring programs that are effective within their own borders. The success of the task force will hinge on its ability to develop information sharing through those programs, such asKentucky’s All Schedule Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system. KASPER, which has become a national model, is a statewide prescription drug monitoring program that tracks controlled substance prescriptions dispensed within the state. A KASPER report shows all scheduled prescriptions for an individual over a specified time period, as well as the prescriber and the dispenser.

Earlier this month, Gov. Beshear announcedKentuckyandOhiohave begun automatically exchanging prescription medication data, following the launch of the electronic Prescription Monitoring Information Exchange (PMIX). ThePMIXprogram is a partnership between the KASPER system and the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS).

At today’sAshland meeting, representatives discussed strategy, shared ideas and research, and identified funding and educational opportunities. Future meetings will include discussions on multi-state goals and initiatives to curb in the influx of illegal prescription drugs, as well as ways to better share information and resources for the states’ mutual benefit.  The task force will eventually provide recommendations to each state’s governor regarding best practices for cooperation among the states in fighting prescription drug abuse.

The states began planning a multi-state task force after Gov. Beshear met with Ohio Governor John Kasich in May on the prescription drug problem, and how the two states could work together toward a common goal of reducing trafficking and illegal use.

Gov. Beshear met with Florida Governor Rick Scott this spring to personally encourage him to adopt a prescription drug monitoring program to stop the flow of prescription drugs fromFloridatoKentucky. U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo also reached out to Gov. Scott.

“As a result of our efforts,Floridahas passed and funded its own monitoring program to put some restrictions on these pill mills and it will benefitKentucky,” Gov. Beshear said. “It won’t totally solve the problem by any means, but it’s going to cut off that pipeline and help save more of our families.”

Gov. Beshear said he is hopeful that other states will develop and use prescription drug monitoring programs to work withKentuckyand fellow states. 

“Kentuckyisn’t an island. We have to attack this problem on a nationwide basis and work with other states to share information if we hope to turn around the prescription drug problem,” Gov. Beshear said. “Prescription drug abuse tears families and communities apart. We are going to keep working every day to restore hope to our families.”

Interstate task force to shut down prescription drug pipeline

Brad Ballinger

KyNewsgroup

brad@kynewsgroup.com

Looking to permanently shut down the growing prescription drug problem in Kentucky and neighboring states, Governor Steve Beshear announced the formation of an interstate task force withOhio,Tennessee, andWest Virginia.  The Interstate Prescription Drug Task Force held its first meeting inAshland.

“We have a tremendous prescription drug problem in the Commonwealth that we have battled for years. We do a good job from a law enforcement standpoint, but by working together, we can better identify prescribers, dispensers and patients who are exploiting our borders in order to abuse, misuse or divert prescription drugs,” Gov. Beshear said. “Our partnership with the governors and their law enforcement agencies in these neighboring states will give us an extremely effective tool to fight this abuse.”

Kentucky’s coalition on the task force includes representatives from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet; the Kentucky State Police; the Office of Drug Control Policy, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services,Kentucky’s Office of Homeland Security, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas or HIDTA; Operation Unite; the Governor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.

Nicholas County Sheriff Jeff Sidles said, “I am all for anything that will stop the prescription pipeline fromFlorida,Ohio,West VirginiaandTennesseetoKentucky. Every law enforcement agency in theEastern United Statesis facing this problem. Being in a small town, the effects are more personal as we see it first hand.”

“I createdKentucky’s first statewide prescription drug task force to help tackle the growing problem of abuse in our Commonwealth,” Attorney General Jack Conway said. “We’ve done a tremendous job tracking down dealers, overprescribing physicians and illegal Internet pharmacies, but we must address the problem of pills flowing intoKentuckyfrom other states.  Law enforcement officers estimate that the majority of the illegal pills inKentuckycome in across state lines. I look forward to working with our law enforcement partners inOhio,West VirginiaandTennesseeto share resources that will ultimately benefit the entire region.”

Gov. Beshear said all four states have excellent prescription monitoring programs that are effective within their own borders. The success of the task force will hinge on its ability to develop information sharing through those programs, such asKentucky’s All Schedule Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system. KASPER, which has become a national model, is a statewide prescription drug monitoring program that tracks controlled substance prescriptions dispensed within the state. A KASPER report shows all scheduled prescriptions for an individual over a specified time period, as well as the prescriber and the dispenser.

Earlier this month, Gov. Beshear announcedKentuckyandOhiohave begun automatically exchanging prescription medication data, following the launch of the electronic Prescription Monitoring Information Exchange (PMIX). ThePMIXprogram is a partnership between the KASPER system and the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS).

At today’sAshlandmeeting, representatives discussed strategy, shared ideas and research, and identified funding and educational opportunities. Future meetings will include discussions on multi-state goals and initiatives to curb in the influx of illegal prescription drugs, as well as ways to better share information and resources for the states’ mutual benefit.  The task force will eventually provide recommendations to each state’s governor regarding best practices for cooperation among the states in fighting prescription drug abuse.

The states began planning a multi-state task force after Gov. Beshear met with Ohio Governor John Kasich in May on the prescription drug problem, and how the two states could work together toward a common goal of reducing trafficking and illegal use.

Gov. Beshear met with Florida Governor Rick Scott this spring to personally encourage him to adopt a prescription drug monitoring program to stop the flow of prescription drugs fromFloridatoKentucky. U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo also reached out to Gov. Scott.

“As a result of our efforts,Floridahas passed and funded its own monitoring program to put some restrictions on these pill mills and it will benefitKentucky,” Gov. Beshear said. “It won’t totally solve the problem by any means, but it’s going to cut off that pipeline and help save more of our families.”

Gov. Beshear said he is hopeful that other states will develop and use prescription drug monitoring programs to work withKentuckyand fellow states. 

“Kentuckyisn’t an island. We have to attack this problem on a nationwide basis and work with other states to share information if we hope to turn around the prescription drug problem,” Gov. Beshear said. “Prescription drug abuse tears families and communities apart. We are going to keep working every day to restore hope to our families.”

Labor Day: History  and closings

Brad Ballinger

KyNewsgroup

brad@kynesgroup.com

Monday, September 5 will be Labor Day and there will be closings around the community to be aware of. City offices the school system and county offices including the recycling center will be closed on Monday. The local banks will be closed as well. Soper Drug store will be closed and Carlisle Drug will be closed half of the day.

Anyone making plans for Labor Day should call ahead and make sure that the particular place that you are wanting to go is open.

According to the United States Department of Labor website, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson,N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union inNew York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated onTuesday, September 5, 1882, inNew York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, onSeptember 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into theNew Yorklegislature, but the first to become law was passed byOregononFebruary 21, 1887. During the year four more states —Colorado,Massachusetts,New Jersey, andNew York— created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decadeConnecticut,Nebraska, andPennsylvaniahad followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in theDistrict of Columbiaand the territories.

A NationwideHoliday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.