Prescription drug crackdown leading to crime spike: lobby group

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A crackdown on prescriptions for painkillers in the Valley may be to blame for a recent crime spree.

A man and woman are in police custody after prescription pills were stolen from a Kentville pharmacy on Saturday.

It’s the second time in recent weeks that a pharmacy was robbed and a local lobby group says addicts are getting desperate to find their drug of choice.

Amy Graves, whose brother died in March after mixing Dilaudid and alcohol, says demand for the drugs is high – but supply is dwindling as doctors cut back on prescriptions in response to the publicity surrounding recent drug-related deaths.

Speaking for the lobby group Annapolis Valley Fighting Addiction, Graves tells the Herald the province is asking doctors to prescribe painkillers more cautiously – and now it has to provide emergency funding for addicts to get into detox.

Graves is also warning seniors and anyone with a valid painkiller prescription to take steps to protect themselves.

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