Ohio Health System Fighting Pill Fraud with Fingerprints

A southeastern Ohio health system is hoping a fingerprint collection program will help it cut down on prescription painkiller abuse.

Brent Saunders, board chairman at Holzer Health Systems in Gallipolis says painkiller fraud costs insurance companies $72 billion a year.

Saunders and state drug addiction officials planned to announce a program Thursday under which Holzer has begun the voluntary collection of fingerprints from patients seeking urgent and emergency room care.

Saunders says the confidential information will help flag addicts who try doctor shopping to obtain painkiller prescriptions for non-medical use.

Southern and southeastern Ohio has been hit hard by the prescription painkiller epidemic, with numerous overdoses and fatalities attributed to painkiller addiction.