04.29.09
Florida Legislature Approves Prescription Drug Abuse Tracking System
Last week the Florida State Senate passed legislation that would crack down on the long-standing problem the state has had with pain clinics and the growing number of people “doctor shopping” for addictive medications, by implementing a statewide database that would monitor prescriptions. The initiative was proposed by Sen. Mike Fasano and passed unanimously in the state senate.
Although 38 other states, nationwide, had previously established such monitoring systems, Florida meandered in its decision due to the implicated, privacy issues associated with monitoring personal prescriptions. Still, many Floridians are more than happy to compromise the possibility of minor unwanted inquiries to their prescriptions, in return for a system especially designed to target the more potent opiate painkillers like oxycodone that are responsible for prescription drug overdoses across the state.
Prescription-drug overdoses have seemed to reach epidemic proportions in recent years; for example, the Tampa Bay area has had an average of about 500 fatalities annually, due to prescription-drug overdose, which are almost as many fatalities as those of car crashes in the area. Statewide the annual fatality rate, attributed to prescription-drug overdose, averages at about 2,000 a year, which is currently more than 3 times that of either cocaine or heroin.
Currently, the bill awaits approval from the House, before it can pass on to Governor Charlie Crist for a final signature. Nonetheless, the controversial stigma of privacy issues the policy carries with it has addiction experts, like Joel Kaufman of Broward County’s Commission on Substance Abuse, skeptical about the bill’s final authorization and official implementation. “It feels great that it’s gotten this far,” Kaufman said in a recent interview, “but until it gets to the governor’s desk, I’m cautiously optimistic.”
Johnson said,
May 2, 2009 at 11:16 am
Prescription Drug abuse is an ever-growing problem, not only in Florida but all over the United States.
Mike said,
May 2, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Here is the Drug Czars real deal as I see it! First you have all the news press about people from KY coming to South Florida to Doctor Shop. If you look at all the press it came from the office of The Drug Czar Bill James Florida and KY press. One may want to ask yourself why? Well KY is selling their database system to Florida! Wow…how did I miss that? Next, The Drug Deal… Guess who’s paying KY for their system? Purdue, Yes that same company that makes Oxycontin! Now you really should be asking yourself why would Purdue pay for this Bill to pass and an KY’s Database? Its easy, its money! KY’s database is outdated, not real time and its easy to beat with Fake ID! That means Billions of dollars to Purdue! Nice Job Bill James! Help Purdue kill more people at the cost of life! Our Life! Well Done!
Walther said,
May 15, 2009 at 10:09 am
Thank you so much for posting this. I am researching this topic for a private matter and this is very helpful and informative.