Stoddard County first in region to adopt drug-monitoring program

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — The Stoddard County Commission voted 3-0 to pass an ordinance establishing a prescription-drug monitoring program in Stoddard County at its regular meeting March 6.

The county is the only one thus far in Southeast Missouri to adopt the program using a data-collection system based in St. Louis County.

The web-based database will monitor the prescribing and dispensing of Schedule II, III and IV controlled substances.

It was created by software developer Appriss, which also developed Missouri’s VINE system for tracking inmates.

Doctors and pharmacists will provide prescription information to the database once the program is up and running.

St. Louis County, the city of St. Louis, St. Charles County, Jackson County, Ste. Genevieve County, the city of Independence, Kansas City, Cole County and Lincoln County, Missouri, all have adopted monitoring-program ordinances.

Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said the ordinance was modeled on those passed by participating counties.

The latest county before Stoddard County to join the drug-monitoring program was Lincoln County.

Mathis said the deadline to join the other counties was March 1, but he received assurances from St. Louis County Public Health director Emily Varner the county could be included if it passed the ordinance at the March 6 meeting.

A user agreement has to be signed by March 31.

“Over a year ago, Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield asked if the commission would consider a prescription-drug monitoring program,” Mathis said. “I took a wait-and-see approach ... waiting to see if the state legislature would take action.”

“Nothing has happened,” Mathis said.

The latest available data show in 2014, almost 2 million people in the U.S. were addicted to prescription opioids, with another 586,000 suffering from heroin addiction.

Satterfield addressed the commission Monday in support of the drug-monitoring program.

Satterfield compared the problem to “fighting the meth war” several years ago.

He said at that time, he approached then-Rep. Marilyn Williams about limiting the availability of ephedrine, which is a primary ingredient in producing methamphetamine.

Ephedrine is an ingredient in many decongestants.

A measure to put decongestants behind the counter at pharmacies and stores did not pass the legislature. Satterfield said there was opposition from pharmaceutical companies and convenience stores.

“Who knew convenience stores would oppose the legislation?” Satterfield asked. “It was reported that a store in Qulin (Missouri) made $40,000 per month selling products containing ephedrine.”

Satterfield said cities took the lead and began passing ordinances requiring medications containing ephedrine to be put behind the counter, and later that customers be required to sign for them before purchasing.

Satterfield said the ordinances worked in the “war on meth.”

He noted meth labs diminished in the county and in other cities and counties passing the laws. Later, the state finally passed similar legislation.

“We are having the same problem with controlled substances,” Satterfield said. “It is embarrassing that Missouri is the only state in the union without a prescription-drug monitoring program.”

Satterfield told the commission the jail is full of people who use prescription drugs.

He explained some of them start using the drug for legitimate reasons but become addicted. The addiction leads to “doctor-shopping,” he said.

“They are not just using the drugs, but getting them to sell,” Satterfield said, adding there is a substantial black market for opioids.

“It’s an issue that so easily could be slowed,” Satterfield said.

Mathis asked Satterfield whether the classic story about painkiller addiction is true — that the problem affects people and youth in affluent neighborhoods who get prescriptions for painkillers and then become addicted.

Mathis said they move on to heroin, which too often ends in an overdose death.

“Yes, these drugs are very addictive,” Satterfield said.

Satterfield said counties and cities again will have to take the lead in fighting the problem.

He warned opioid users will go to other counties to doctor-shop, but a drug-monitoring program would help the problem in Stoddard County.

“I was elected to represent Stoddard County. It will be up to other counties to deal with it,” Satterfield said.

“I believe that other counties will join,” Commissioner Steve Jordan said.

Stoddard County Health Center director Debbie Pleimling asked how the prescription database would be reported and used in the county.

Mathis said the county would be preparing a user agreement and would be getting more specific information at that time.

He asked Pleimling to research the subject and come to the March 13 commission meeting to provide more information on how the program works.

Commissioner Carol Jarrell made the motion to pass the prescription drug-monitoring ordinance, and it was seconded by Jordan.

It passed 3-0.

Pertinent address:

Bloomfield, Mo.