Georgia lawmakers OK bill to help rein in pill mills

Georgia is trying to combat its "pill mill" problem with a law that would place stiffer regulations on doctors who operate pain management clinics, which are often easy sources of painkillers.The state has become a magnet for people seeking the pills because other states in the Southeast cracked down, reports Kate Brumback of The Associated Press

The bill on Gov. Nathan Deal's desk would license and regulate pain management clinics, and require the owner to be a doctor. Brumback notes the law would stop short of requiring doctors or pharmacists to use a state registry so that authorities can track how much of a painkiller a person is receiving

According to estimates from the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, there were fewer than 10 pill mills in the state in 2010, but the number has exploded since then, fluctuating between 90 and 140 over the last year, Brumback writes. (Read more)