A special working group trying to reduce prescription drug abuse in Minnesota has its first meeting this afternoon (noon-330pm) in Saint Paul. Jeff Schiff with the state Human Services Department says one goal is statewide standards to encourage alternatives for managing pain and to reduce, when medically appropriate, the amount of prescription opioids that patients receive. Schiff says, “If Doctor Jones is always prescribing 30 days, where our standard by the community is five days, we’ll go to Doctor Jones and say, please look at how much you’re prescribing.” Schiff says the death rate from opiates, including heroin, exceeds that for car accidents.