Report Praises NJ's Policies on Prescription Drug Abuse but Cites Shortcomings

New Jersey stacks up fairly well compared to other states in its attempts to reduce prescription-drug abuse, but there’s room for improvement, a new national report has found.

New Jersey has implemented seven of 10 “promising strategies,” according to theTrust for America’s Health report issued this week, tying it with four other states for 18th place in the rankings.

In addition, New Jersey had the country’s 11th-lowest death rate from drug overdoses in 2010, with 9.8 deaths per 100,000 residents. However, that rate represents a 51 percent increase since 1999, when New Jersey had 6.5 deaths per 100,000. The national rate has also soared over the same time period, driven in large part by a large increase in prescription-drug abuse.

The report, the first national overview of these strategies, comes three months after a State Commission of Investigation report that found that some [http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/07/10/doctor-s-painkiller-scam-shows-need-for-stricter-standar... Jersey doctors were fraudulently issuing dangerous prescriptions].

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