Pikeville newspaper spotlights local doctors and pharmacists charged in prescription pain-pill epidemic, forecasts more action

The Appalachian News-Express, the thrice-weekly newspaper in Pikeville, has turned the spotlight on Pike County physicians and pharmacists who are aiding and abetting the abuse of prescription painkillers. We have to wonder if more reporting like this from local news media wouldn’t help fight the problem, which has become epidemic in Kentucky, especially in the east.

“Prescription drug abuse has dominated news headlines across the state
over the last several weeks and new cases are leading officials to
believe that more and more cases will be filed against physicians in and
around Eastern Kentucky,” the 2,200-word story begins. “Officials on both the state and federal level
have been busy over the last year in taking action against a number of
medical professionals, both in and around Pike County.”

The full story by Chris Anderson is available only to subscribers, but is available to members of the Kentucky Press Association who subscribe to its Kentucky Press News Service.