A southeastern Ohio health system is hoping a fingerprint collection program will help it cut down on prescription painkiller abuse.
Brent Saunders, board chairman at Holzer Health Systems in Gallipolis says painkiller fraud costs insurance companies $72 billion a year.
Saunders and state drug addiction officials planned to announce a program Thursday under which Holzer has begun the voluntary collection of fingerprints from patients seeking urgent and emergency room care.
Saunders says the confidential information will help flag addicts who try doctor shopping to obtain painkiller prescriptions for non-medical use.
Southern and southeastern Ohio has been hit hard by the prescription painkiller epidemic, with numerous overdoses and fatalities attributed to painkiller addiction.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Jury Awards 78-Year-Old Victim $56 Million for Crash Caused by Amazon Delivery Driver 
OpenAI Finds Evidence Other AI Agents Escaped Containment as it Widens Probe 
Mapfre to Acquire Safety Insurance for $1.54 Billion in Cash Deal 
After 55 Years in Florida Insurance, Tom Lynch Reflects on Agencies, Changes Needed 
