WAPO The Opioid Files - Surprising pill pusher locations in MI

I'm reading the Washington Post and came across this piece of investigative reporting that tracked the locations in the surge of pain medication prescriptions from 2006-2012. It includes a map that shows the counties where pharamcists were filling the most prescriptions for opioids.

What was going on on MI was a surprise. The 2012 map shows Ogemaw (county seat West Branch) as the highest with surrounding counties Oscoda (Mio), Alcona (Harrisville) and Roscommon (Roscommon). In the UP were Luce (Newberry) and Dickinson (Iron Mountain).

I look at that map and have got to believe there has been willful ignorance at the Federal and state regulatory agencies along with state and county law enforcement. Why were those high levels of opioid prescriptions being filled in some of the least populated counties in the state.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/?nid

Maybe Guest was in a lot of pain back then?