(PRNewsChannel) / May 20, 2010 / ORLANDO, Fla. / State attorneys general should shut down clinics that too easily prescribe and dispense painkillers, says family doctor Stephanie Haridopolos, MD.
Haridopolos, a family physician serving patients in the Orlando area, spoke about prescription drug addiction on the live syndicated radio program, "Bottom Line on Your Health," hosted by Sarah Hiner.
"I think drug addiction has changed over the years," Haridopolos explained on the show. "I think pill abuse could possibly be coming from physicians who prescribe them too easily. They get into the wrong hands and then they're sold on the streets."
Haridopolos, the wife of Florida incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, recommends states should "crack down on people who are not prescribing medications the way they should."
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports roughly 2 million teenagers (almost 8 percent) abused prescription drugs in 2008. Painkillers are the most abused drugs by teens after tobacco, alcohol and marijuana, according to the NIDA. Haridopolos says she regularly sees teens who try to deceive their doctors.
"I've seen teenagers who fabricate MRIs in order to get prescribed OxyContin," she said on the radio program. "There are certain clinics doing things illegally, and A.G.'s need to find out who they are and close down these clinics."
Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos is a Board Certified Family Practice Physician in Melbourne. She serves on the board of Women Reaching Women, a local group that assists veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Haridopolos also assists the National Veteran Homeless Support, a group helping homeless veterans in times of need. Haridopolos is also part of a group of doctors who gathered supplies and provided support to the victims of the Haitian earthquake. She led the charge that helped raise $225,000 for an orphanage in Haiti called Ruuska Village.
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