The Bush administration is taking steps to curb the tide of prescription drug abuse.

John Walters, the man in charge of the National Drug Control Policy, said prescription drug abuse has exploded in the United States. And the drug czar said it's a problem that needs to be addressed immediately.

Walters said that in 2002, more than 6 million Americans abused prescription drugs, compared with just more than 1.5 million two years earlier.

A recent report found that prescription medicine now ranks second, behind marijuana, among drugs most abused by adults and young people, according to the agency.

Walters announced Monday a $12 billion federal strategy that focuses on reducing demand through prevention, intervention and treatment, and controlling the supply of illegal drugs entering the United States.

The initiative includes tracking a patient's use of prescription medicine and using monitoring programs to detect a pattern of abuse, such as "doctor shopping," where a patient gets prescriptions for drugs from more than one doctor.

The Drug Enforcement Administration also plans to aggressively pursue pharmacies selling controlled substances illegally over the Internet.

"Criminals who divert legal drugs into the illegal market are no different from a cocaine or heroin dealer peddling poisons on the street corner," said Karen Tandy, DEA administrator.

Additional Resources:

• Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Drug Policy Alliance