Georgia City Proposes Ordinance to Ban "Pill Mills"

Woodstock, Ga., is aiming to ban "pill mills" by making it illegal to prescribe or dispense drugs outside a pharmacy, hospital, surgery center, assisting living facility or hospital-owned outpatient facility, according to a Cherokee Tribune report.

The city council approved the first reading of an ordinance to address the issue of illegal pain clinics. The ordinance would give the city the authority to inspect medical establishments to make sure they are in compliance.

Unlike legitimate pain management clinics, "pill mills" allow patients to choose the drugs they want rather than acquiring them via a prescription. Patients also pay cash for medication.

Other local cities have implemented ordinances regulating pill mills in the past year. In Holly Springs, Ga., an ordinance requires that pain management clinic applicants fill out surveys detailing how they plan to operate before the city grants business licenses.

Read the Cherokee Tribune report on Woodstock pain clinics.

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