PICAYUNE — With a total of 17 overdose deaths occurring in Pearl River county so far this year, Coroner Derek Turnage is concerned the problem is becoming epidemic.

Friday’s overdose death of 37-year-old Billy Kyle Entrekin was the most recent reported death directly associated with a drug overdose.

Turnage pointed out that his figures do not reflect deaths that could be indirectly associated with drug use, such as suicides or accidents. Of those 17 overdose deaths, 8 have occurred within the last three months.

Marshall Fisher, director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, said last year 173 cases of overdose deaths were reported in the state of Mississippi, 95 percent of which were from the misuse or abuse of prescription medication. Fisher said there could have been more overdose deaths but some counties may not be reporting all of their deaths associated with overdoses. He cited two counties for comparison, Harrison County reported 30 overdose deaths last year, but DeSoto County, much of which is a suburb of Memphis, Tenn., reported none.

Part of the problem could be traced back to how prescription medication is obtained. Fisher said there are known cases of patients “doctor shopping,” or visiting more than one doctor to receive multiple prescriptions for the same medication. That problem is not limited to Pearl River County or Mississippi. Fisher said it is a nationwide issue.

While the United States makes up about five percent of the world’s population, 90 percent of the legitimately produced opioids, which includes most narcotic prescription medication, is consumed by the American public, Fisher said. Such medication was initially produced to treat severe pain associated with cancer treatment. However, pharmaceutical companies have pushed doctors to prescribe opioids to people with minor pain, such as some back and neck pain, Fisher said.

Not all doctors and pharmacists are trying to make a buck off of the prescription industry. Fisher said just as in law enforcement, most doctors and pharmacists genuinely want to alleviate their patients pain in the best way possible.

“Fortunately most of us are good cops,” Fisher said.

However, patients have found ways to receive more than one prescription for the same ailment by doctor shopping. One pharmaceutical company, Pardue Pharma, has developed a registration program, the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMP), that would allow doctors to determine if a patient is doctor shopping. The problem is only about 15 percent of doctors are using the program because information about the program is not widely known among doctors, leaving holes patients can exploit.

Fisher has concerns about implementation of PMP. He said he hopes Pardue Pharma doesn’t decide to charge doctors to use the proprietary program, making it hard for doctors to afford and implement.

Most people who overdose on a drug do so unintentionally. They typically overdose from taking a combination of prescription medication mixed with alcohol, Fisher said. Taking a combination of Hydrocodone, soma and other depressants can cause the respiratory system to shut down, and before the drug abuser knows it, he or she “wakes up dead,” Fisher said.

One method of control could provide some change, regulations in the medical community. Fisher said if all doctors, dentists and pharmacists are required by legislative action to use PMP, then doctors can reduce, or possibly eliminate, instances of doctor shopping.

Turnage said most instances of doctor shopping involve pain management clinics, not practicing physicians at hospitals or in doctor’s offices. Work has taken place to reduce doctor shopping at pain management clinics by setting forth legislation that requires them to be physician owned, Fisher said.

Not only does an overdose affect the family of the deceased, but Turnage said each overdose case consumes about $2,000 out of his budget, which comes from taxpayers. That expense does not include the hours logged in by law enforcement officers or other emergency personnel.

The biggest effort to curb overdose deaths can be undertaken at home by parents, not by law enforcement.

“We can’t arrest our way out of this thing,” Fisher said.

Fisher suggested parents take a hands-on approach to discover what their children are engaged in by searching their rooms and belongings. His motto is, “if they live under your roof, search them.” Fisher said he has had parents say to him that they wish they had searched their child’s room for signs of drug abuse prior to an overdose death.

“If you love them, search them,” Fisher said. “Find out what they’re doing. You’re not going to have any idea unless you get involved.”

“There’s nothing glamorous about knocking on a door to tell them a loved one died from an overdose,” Turnage said. “It’s horrific to see the response from these family members.”

Chief Investigator Donnie Saucier with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department and Deputy Chief Chad Dorn with the Picayune Police Department agree with Fisher that doctors and pharmacies should be held accountable. Saucier said patients should take care not to sell or distribute their medications.

“We stand firm that if someone is distributing their pills, they’re drug dealers. We’re going to aggressively pursue them,” Saucier said.