Tagged: drugs

The Kentucky House Judiciary Committee has overwhelmingly passed two bills to overhaul the state's fight against drugs.

One bill deals with synthetic drugs. It would ban the manufacture of any drug that simulates an illegal substance or that contains certain chemical compounds.

The second bill is an overhaul of the KASPER system, which monitors prescription drugs. The bill puts KASPER under the Attorney General's office and requires the board of medical licensure to crack down on reports that prescriptions are being over prescribed.

Business owners in western Kentucky are expressing concern after a series of burglaries and robberies at pharmacies in the region.  Eddie Nickell, who owns Lyon Drugs in Eddyville, says burglars broke into the pharmacy in October and again in January.  Several pharmacies in the area have reported thefts or attempted thefts over the last few months.  Law enforcement authorities say the region is not alone; drug stores across the nation are reporting more thefts.  Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Rusty Payne says pain medicine and stimulants are the most common medications taken.   K