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Iowa Releases 2010 Drug Strategy

On November 2, the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy (IODCP) released “Iowa’s Drug Control Strategy 2010,” outlining the state’s plan for coordinated treatment, prevention, and enforcement actions to combat substance abuse and its consequences. The strategy notes that the state’s primary drugs of abuse are alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamine; however, prescription drug abuse is also on the rise. The report’s recommendations include regulating Salvia divinorum, requiring all prescribers to utilize the state’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), instituting full substance abuse and mental health parity, requiring substance abuse prevention education in schools, continuing to prohibit medical marijuana, and enhancing community-based programs combating underage drinking. The IODCP, the Drug Policy Advisory Council, and the state Departments of Corrections, Education, Human Rights, Human Services, Public Health, and Public Safety collaborated to create the strategy.

Nevada Supreme Court To Hear Pharmacy Liability Case

In March, the Nevada Supreme Court will hear a case (Sanchez v. Wal-Mart Stores et al.) to determine whether pharmacies can be held liable for the actions of individuals to whom they have provided controlled substances despite warnings from PDMPs. In the case under consideration, numerous Las Vegas-area pharmacies prescribed thousands of doses of controlled substances to a woman despite receiving letters from the Nevada controlled substances task force informing them that she might be abusing pharmaceuticals. The woman subsequently killed one man and injured another while driving under the influence of the controlled substance. The family of the deceased sued the driver, her doctors, and the pharmacies; however, the lower court dismissed the pharmacies from the suit and the case now heads to the state supreme court. The suit has drawn nationwide attention because it is the first to consider the culpability of pharmacies receiving PDMP information. Thirty-three states currently have PDMPs, and numerous others have passed legislation to create them.

Report Summarizes Expert Panel Findings on Arizona Behavioral Health System

A report released November 2 by the Arizona State University Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy and the Morrison Institute for Public Policy summarizes the views of a panel of behavioral health experts convened in July to discuss the state’s behavioral health system. The report finds that 35 percent of the state’s adults with serious mental illness do not qualify for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state’s Medicaid program. The report also finds that the state does not provide funding for crucial housing or food assistance to behavioral health patients, even under AHCCCS, because such services are not deemed “medically necessary.”

Update: Michigan Governor Finalizes State Budget With Vetoes; Medicaid and Mental Health Affected

On October 30, Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) signed the last of several budget bills, including more than 70 line-item vetoes, which finalizes the state’s $44.5 billion Fiscal Year 2010 budget. The budget includes an 8-percent cut to Medicaid reimbursements for hospitals, doctors, and nursing homes as well as a $40-million reduction in mental health services. Earlier in the week, the Michigan Senate rejected a 3-percent physician tax (HB 5386), supported by Governor Granholm, that would have drawn down additional Federal matching funds for Medicaid.

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