BALTIMORE, Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameritox^SM announced today that it is sponsoring a series of webinars this month aimed at educating physicians about a set of Kentucky laws intended to curb prescription drug misuse and abuse.

Kentucky has an on-going problem with misuse, abuse and diversion of prescription painkillers. Information released by the state's Attorney General's office late last year indicated that more than 1,000 Kentuckians are dying each year from prescription drug overdoses. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control have deemed prescription painkiller abuse an "epidemic."

Enacted last year, Kentucky House Bill 1 seeks to address painkiller misuse and abuse and is believed to be among the most comprehensive laws in the country. Among other actions, before a physician can prescribe a wide range of prescription drugs, he or she must query the state's prescription drug monitoring database. If the prescription is long-term, the physician is required to conduct a baseline drug screen.

Ameritox has long recognized that physicians are challenged with the dual tasks of caring for patients in pain while also being responsible for guarding against misuse, abuse and diversion of powerful controlled drugs. Ameritox, the nation's leader in pain medication monitoring, believes that Urine Drug Monitoring is an underutilized tool.

Roz Cordini, an attorney with Louisville-based law firm Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs LLP, will conduct the educational webinars on behalf of Ameritox. Cordini has been directly involved with the debates over House Bill 1 and its corresponding mandates and has testified before the Bill's oversight committee legislative panel about how it might affect physicians practicing in hospitals. She has also been an active participant on the Stakeholder's Group, a panel convened by the Governor's Office to address issues with the laws.

"These regulations are expansive, detailed and, at times, difficult for physicians to understand," Cordini said. "A violation of these laws could result in discipline on a practitioner's license, so it is imperative that physicians understand what is required of them.  And that's the focus of these sessions."

The webinars, called "Statutory and Regulatory Mandates for Prescribing and Dispensing Controlled Substances in Kentucky," are scheduled for Jan. 15 and 17. They are free, but participants must register by either visiting www.ameritox.com/kentucky or by calling 888-373-2515. Depending on demand, other sessions may be added.

"My goal is for physicians to walk away from these sessions and be better informed on dealing with these key issues," Cordini said.

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation's leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions^SM, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox's expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian^SM – with Rx Guardian CD^SM, the only pain medication monitoring process with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients clinically assessed for adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through prescription drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas and Greensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ameritox.                

© 2013 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. Ameritox, Ameritox-Medication Monitoring Solutions, Rx Guardian, Rx Guardian INSIGHT and Rx Guardian CD are trademarks of Ameritox. Other trademarks are the property of their owners.

SOURCE Ameritox