Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, R, sent a letter to the state's attorney general, calling for an immediate investigation into physician's prescribing practices, according to report from The Arizona Republic.
Mr. Ducey made the request after examining information on state opioid prescriptions from the state board that monitors controlled substances.
The board found four Arizona physicians operating in sparsely populated Mohave County prescribed a total of 6 million opioid pills in a single year. The four physicians are among the state's top opioid prescribers, even though Mohave County is home to just 200,000 people. The top-prescribing physician from Mohave County wrote 20,232 opioid prescriptions, amounting to more than 1.9 million pills in a single year, which breaks down to about 7,350 pills a day. Statewide, 15 physicians prescribed 14 million opioid pills in the first half of 2017, according to the report.
"While there are legitimate reasons to prescribe opioids, these prescribing rates are shocking and profoundly disturbing," Mr. Ducey told Attorney General Mark Brnovich in a letter obtained by The Arizona Republic. "I am deeply concerned that this information may reveal serious violations of Arizona's criminal laws."
Mia Garcia, a spokeswoman for Mr. Brnovich, declined to discuss the letter with the publication.
"The attorney general's office cannot disclose information related to ongoing criminal investigations," Ms. Garcia told The Arizona Republic via email. "We must protect the integrity of our investigations. In addition, we have to a duty to protect the law enforcement officers who investigate complex and dangerous criminal cases."
To read the full report, click here.
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