Pain Management Clinics: Lawmakers Want To Tighten Restrictions

      The number of prescription drug overdose deaths in Southeast Texas has increased in the last year. Law enforcement agencies are meeting in Houston Thursday to share ideas on how to shut down illegitimate pain  management clinics, ones they believe are contributing to thousands of deaths. A year ago officers seized documents from two Southeast Texas pain management clinics.    

     After the raid last year, those two clinics shut down. Officers say several other clinics in Orange closed and moved to Houston, while others just changed names.

     As for the man who owned those clinics the DEA seized his hummer and cash temporarily but they've returned the vehicle and money.  That man has not yet been charged with a crime.

     The Calcasieu Parish District Attorney met with the Jefferson County District Attorney to get their office on board. He's encouraging Texas law makers to pass a doctor shopping law and also wants Texas to require that pain management clinics are owned and operated by doctors certified in pain  management. Law enforcement officers say they can't do it alone. They need the support of law makers to tighten restrictions and provide tools for prosecution.