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Tennessee Tightens Rules On An Increasingly Abused Opioid Alternative

Neighborhood Health is warning hundreds of patients prescribed gabapentin that they will no longer be able to use the clinic's dispensary, because it doesn't carry controlled substances.
courtesy Neighborhood Health
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via Facebook
Neighborhood Health is warning hundreds of patients prescribed gabapentin that they will no longer be able to use the clinic's dispensary, because it doesn't carry controlled substances.

A drug that has been increasingly abused by opioid users is becoming harder to access in Tennessee, designated as a controlled substance starting July 1.

Gabapentin was designed to treat epilepsy and nerve pain. It's now used for neuropathy related to diabetes, mood disorders and even as an alternative to opioids, endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control.

But it's also sold on the street for as little as a dollar a pill, known as "johnnies" or "gabbies." Opioid addicts have used the medication to intensify the effects of heroin. And when taken in large quantities, the drug can produce a high on its own like that of marijuana.

Neighborhood Health's dispensary, which intentionally does not stock scheduled drugs, will no longer carry gabapentin. So CEO Brian Haile has been trying to connect legitimate patients with other charity pharmacies.

"In fact, we had been tightening and becoming far more rigorous in our approach to gabapentin prescribing over the last three years because of all the mounting evidence nationally," Haile says.

According to authorities in Kentucky, the drug is now involved in a third of all overdose deaths, spurring the commonwealth to lead the nation in making it a controlled substance.

Tennessee has not been tracking gabapentin's relationship to overdoses. But a health department spokesperson says that will be easier with the controlled substance designation, passed by the Tennessee legislature this year.

Gabapentin has been classified as a Schedule V, along with drugs like Tylenol with codeine. This class of controlled substances still has very low risk of dependency or overdose.

Copyright 2018 WPLN News

Blake Farmer
Blake Farmer is WPLN's assistant news director, but he wears many hats - reporter, editor and host. He covers the Tennessee state capitol while also keeping an eye on Fort Campbell and business trends, frequently contributing to national programs. Born in Tennessee and educated in Texas, Blake has called Nashville home for most of his life.