St. Louis (KSDK) - Missouri is the only state in the nation that has not set up a prescription drug abuse monitoring program.

On Wednesday, the nation's drug czar came to St. Louis to try to change that.

Gil Kerlikowske toured the Assisted Recovery Centers of America. He says accidental prescription-drug overdoses far out-number those involving other drugs like meth and heroin.

There are more than 300 accidental prescription drug deaths in Missouri every year.

"Every state has done it except Missouri. The states design the programs themselves there's federal funding to support the startup of those programs and it is really just the will of the legislature," said Kerlikowske.

Some Missouri lawmakers have cited privacy concerns in blocking efforts to set up monitoring in that state.

KSDK