Tagged: Drugs

A proposed Ohio law seeks to end what a prosecutor calls a "cat-and-mouse" game involving chemists changing synthetic drugs' molecular content to keep them legal.

At issue are the sale and abuse of synthetic drugs such as bath salts and herbal incense, which can cause users to behave in bizarre and dangerous ways.

Matt Donahue, a special prosecutor with the Ohio attorney general's office, says current Ohio law bands a particular chemical compound used to make such drugs.

A decision by Ohio Governor John Kasich to change the way doctors can bill Medicaid for a painkiller addition treatment may make it easier to obtain in the long run.  The administration says the change could ultimately affect far more patients than a $1 million pilot program for ex-offenders vetoed by the governor last month.

Under the new change taking effect in October, pharmacies can bill Medicaid directly for Vivitrol and have the drug delivered to a doctor's office without an upfront payment.

New efforts to crack down on drug trafficking in Ohio include legislation targeting hidden compartments in vehicles and changes in how drivers can use the Highway Patrol hotline.