DEA: Hancock County led area in per-capita pain pill distrbution
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WHEELING -- Legal distribution of prescription pain medication topped 72 million pills to the six Northern Panhandle counties and exceeded 62 million pills for four Eastern Ohio counties in 2006-12, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Statewide, nearly 3.4 billion pain pills were distributed to Ohio and more than 853 million pain pills were distributed to West Virginia in that time period, DEA statistics indicate.
By figuring population into the equation, those numbers equate to 294.54 pills per person in the Buckeye State and 460.59 pills per person in the Mountain State.
The DEA data was first reported last week in the Washington Post. Among Northern Panhandle counties, Hancock County received the largest number of pills and had the highest pill usage per capita.
The report also shows that of the six counties, Tyler County received the smallest number of pills and had the lowest consumption per capita.
For the four East Ohio counties, Belmont County received the largest number of pills and had the highest pill usage per capita. Monroe County received the smallest number of pills and had the lowest consumption per capita.
According to the DEA, a total of 853,486,418 prescription pain pills were supplied to West Virginia from 2006 to 2012. Of that number, 198,671,660 of the pills were distributed by Cardinal Health and 373,520,500 were manufactured by SpecGx LLC.
DEA officials said Strosnider Pharmacy in Kermit, W.Va., received the state's highest number of pills -- nearly 13.2 million -- during the time period in question.
The Buckeye State's data indicates that 3,397,979,780 prescription pain pills were supplied to Ohio from 2006 to 2012. Of that number, 729,548,188 of the pills were distributed by Cardinal Health and 1,739,300,839 were manufactured by SpecGx LLC.
DEA officials said Humana Pharmacy Inc. in West Chester, Ohio, received the state's highest number of pills -- more than 28 million -- during that time.
Locally, Ohio County was supplied with 49 pills per person for each year. Cardinal Health distributed 4.7 million of the pills in the county, while 10.4 million pills were manufactured by SpecGx LLC.
Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc. in Wheeling received the highest number of pills in the county, the DEA said. The report, however, did not indicate whether the total represents all of the Rite Aid stores in the city or one particular pharmacy.
Distribution in Marshall County amounted to 75 pills per person annually. AmerisourceBergen Drug distributed 3 million of the pills in the county. SpecGx LLC manufactured 10.9 million pills.
Moundsville Pharmacy received the highest number of pills in the county, according to the data.
Medication supplied to Brooke County represented 55 pills per person for each year. Cardinal Health distributed 6 million of the pills in the county, while 5.5 million pills were manufactured by SpecGx LLC.
Follansbee Pharmacy received the highest number of pills in the county, the DEA said.
In Hancock County, the supply amounted to 91 pills per person annually. Likewise, Cardinal Health distributed 12.9 million of the pills in the county, while nearly 11.3 million pills were manufactured by SpecGx LLC.
Medication supplied to Wetzel County equaled 68 pills per person for each year. Walmart distributed nearly 2.4 million of the pills in the county. SpecGx LLC manufactured 5.8 million pills.
Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc. in New Martinsville received the highest number of pills in the county, the DEA said.
Tyler County's numbers were equivalent to 34 pills per person annually. McKesson Corp. distributed 1.2 million of the pills in the county. SpecGx LLC manufactured 1.2 million pills.
Phillips Drug LLC in Sistersville received the highest number of pills in the county, the DEA said.
In Jefferson County, the supply equaled 55 pills per person for each year. Cardinal Health distributed nearly 9.6 million of the pills in the county, while 16 million pills were manufactured by SpecGx LLC.
The DEA report lists A&B Sunset Pharmacy in Steubenville as the largest recipient of pills in the county.