Gabapentin use and a claim for memory loss in West Virginia

West Virginia has the highest per-capita gabapentin prescribing rate in the nation — a grim distinction driven by the state's devastating opioid crisis, its Appalachian coal mining and industrial chronic pain legacy, and severe healthcare access shortages across its mountainous geography. West Virginia classified gabapentin as a Schedule V controlled substance in 2019 after state data revealed gabapentin was present in a significant percentage of overdose deaths. The state that became the national symbol of the opioid epidemic is now ground zero for the gabapentin cognitive crisis, with prescribing rates more than double the national average. Many West Virginia patients have taken gabapentin at high doses for a decade or more, accumulating neurotoxic exposure loads far exceeding anything studied in clinical trials.

For the overall process and updates, read the Gabapentin use and a claim for memory loss overview. This page covers the local information available for West Virginia.