The number of prescriptions for painkillers in Tennessee is one the rise again, but state officials think they may be finally getting control of the epidemic, according to a report by the state health department.
The report says pharmacists gave out more than 18 million prescriptions last year for controlled substances like oxycontin and hydrocodone. That's slightly higher than the year before, but it's much better than the previous year, which showed a 23 percent increase.
The report says hydrocodone is the number one used painkiller in Tennessee.
Our state has one of the highest prescription drug abuse rates in the nation.