For decades, no one followed california's lead in imposing the special requirement for prescribing pain killers. Drug makers, of course, hated the idea and so did doctors and state lawmakers. In the early 19 eighties, the state of texas started a triplica programme,. The state narcotics division in an had to hire 33 data entry clerks who, in the first year, mailed out 27 thousand, 800 triplica prescription pads to doctors around the state.