Drug Rehab Centers In Florida Overwhelmed As Pill Mills Close

For years, Florida has had an unfortunate reputation as a haven for pill mills, clinics where often unscrupulous physicians would write prescriptions for addicts without knowing their medical history or performing a physical examination. Because of this lax atmosphere, addicts from up and down the East Coast would travel to Florida’s pill mills to get their supply of highly addictive prescription drugs like Vicodin or Percocet, to either use themselves or sell for a huge price tag.
　
Prescription drug addiction has become a public health epidemic, and an increased crackdown by law enforcement and legislators has resulted in drug rehab centers in Florida finding themselves overwhelmed by the demand for beds. With the passage of Florida HB 7095, or the "pill mill bill", Governor Rick Scott made the fight against pill mills and prescription drug abuse a priority for his administration.
　
"This legislation will save lives in our state and it marks the beginning of the end of Florida’s role as the nation’s Pill Mill Capital," said Governor Scott in June.  The bill bans physicians from dispensing most narcotics, tracks wholesale distribution of the drugs, and implemented the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, a database designed to help law enforcement, physicians and pharmacists to know which patients are "doctor shopping" for their prescription pain pills.
　
All of this, including raids and closures of many pill mills in Florida, has meant that addicts are left to confront their dependence on the pain pills. The realization of their addiction has created a huge demand for quality drug rehab centers throughout Florida, and drug and alcohol detox programs are finding themselves turning people away for the lack of space. The problem shows no signs of slowing down.  While drug rehab centers do exist to make a profit, their real reason for existence is to help people effectively recover from the often deadly addiction to prescription pain pills.