New company to operate prescription drug helpline

The Williamson Daily News

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BY JULIA ROBERTS GOAD

Staff Writer

A new company has taken over operation of the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline from the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

We are excited for the opportunity to continue the operation of this tool that is so vital in the fight against prescription drug abuse in our state, Steve Burton, chief executive officer of First Choice Services, said. We want to build on the successful foundation the quitline has established the last three years and provide a tool to help solve the growing prescription drug abuse problem in the state.

First Choice is a state-wide corporation with a network of mental health care providers. They have helped 10,000 problem gamblers in West Virginia over a decade through the Problem Gamblers Help Network, which includes a gambling addiction helpline.

Burton told the Daily News WVU ran the helpline for three years, but the university brought in First Choice in order to better serve people who need services.

WVU just doesnt have the infrastructure, Burton said. It goes beyond just answering the phone. When people call us, we contact clinicians in their community, we made appointments for them, we are an entry point for those who are seeking help.

In 2008, West Virginia had the highest rate of prescription drug overdose deaths in the country, surpassing both motor vehicle crashes and falls as the leading cause of accidental death. In 2008 and 2009, several studies found West Virginia to have the highest PD utilization rate - with 18.4 PDs filled per capita, as compared to the 11.6 prescriptions on a national average.

Recent studies have found that chronic pain patients in rural areas and Appalachia report higher usages of opioids prescribed by physicians, with over a third also reporting nonmedical use.

From 1999 to 2004, overdose deaths in West Virginia rose 550 percent, opioid analgesics such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet, were responsible for 93.2 percent of those deaths.

While the national rate of drug dependence admissions were for opiods is 2.8 percent of admissions, in West Virginia, 12.2 percent of admissions were for opiods.

The West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline was created in 2008 with funding obtained through a settlement the state of West Virginia obtained from Purdue Pharma, a prescription drug company, for its aggressive marketing of the drug OxyContin. The funding from the settlement ceased in June 2011.

We are currently looking for funding opportunities to sustain the quitline, Burton said. This is a tool the state cannot afford to lose, and we are exploring both public and private funding options to continue its success.

First Choice needs $300,000 in annual funding to maintain operation of the quitline. The company will seek funding from the Legislature and private sources. The! funding will be used to sustain the quitline and its resources, as well as support outreach to communities across the state about the quitline. About $70,000 remains from the initial court settlement, which should allow continued operation of the line for the next several months with limited outreach.