Dave P
Member
As I read this article about one more database to keep us safe, it sounds so much like a potential fed database for tracking legal gun purchases.
Legal drugs may be tracked
By Doris Bloodsworth
Sentinel Staff Writer
If Gov. Jeb Bush has his way, a prescription-tracking system under consideration would reduce the kind of fraud committed by the Mercedes-driving vet whose recovery is being supervised in the same drug court as Bush's daughter Noelle.
"I think we overprescribe legal drugs," the governor said. "It is a major problem in our state."Under the proposed Prescription Validation Program, Florida's 17,000 pharmacies would be connected through a computerized system. The database would keep track of so-called Schedule II, III and IV drugs, such as the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and narcotics such as Vicodin and OxyContin.
State health investigators and law-enforcement officers with active cases would be the only other people besides patients who could access the confidential records. Unauthorized disclosure would be a felony, according to the legislation proposed by state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey and state Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie.
Asked if getting patient permission would defeat the purpose of the law, Fasano said, "We're hoping that a physician would not write a prescription to someone who would object to that [permission] form."
Currently, it is difficult for doctors, pharmacists and police to know if a patient is getting illegal quantities of controlled drugs by going to multiple physicians and drug stores, known as doctor shopping and pharmacy shopping.
With the monitoring system, which would begin in January 2004, that information would be a keystroke away.
"We could really track these pills," Orlando police Detective Randolph Lloyd said about the prescription-tracker. "We could see if a lot of people are going to see a particular doctor. That would be awesome."
Not everyone is so enthusiastic.
The system is estimated to cost about $2.3 million annually. State officials say even during this cash-strapped session, finances shouldn't be a problem.
Florida officials also agreed to share the software with other states for free.
"It's a common-sense solution," said Democratic freshman Sen. Dave Aronberg, the former assistant attorney general from South Florida who investigated Purdue. "The evil of doctor shopping has to be stopped."
Legal drugs may be tracked
By Doris Bloodsworth
Sentinel Staff Writer
If Gov. Jeb Bush has his way, a prescription-tracking system under consideration would reduce the kind of fraud committed by the Mercedes-driving vet whose recovery is being supervised in the same drug court as Bush's daughter Noelle.
"I think we overprescribe legal drugs," the governor said. "It is a major problem in our state."Under the proposed Prescription Validation Program, Florida's 17,000 pharmacies would be connected through a computerized system. The database would keep track of so-called Schedule II, III and IV drugs, such as the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and narcotics such as Vicodin and OxyContin.
State health investigators and law-enforcement officers with active cases would be the only other people besides patients who could access the confidential records. Unauthorized disclosure would be a felony, according to the legislation proposed by state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey and state Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie.
Asked if getting patient permission would defeat the purpose of the law, Fasano said, "We're hoping that a physician would not write a prescription to someone who would object to that [permission] form."
Currently, it is difficult for doctors, pharmacists and police to know if a patient is getting illegal quantities of controlled drugs by going to multiple physicians and drug stores, known as doctor shopping and pharmacy shopping.
With the monitoring system, which would begin in January 2004, that information would be a keystroke away.
"We could really track these pills," Orlando police Detective Randolph Lloyd said about the prescription-tracker. "We could see if a lot of people are going to see a particular doctor. That would be awesome."
Not everyone is so enthusiastic.
The system is estimated to cost about $2.3 million annually. State officials say even during this cash-strapped session, finances shouldn't be a problem.
Florida officials also agreed to share the software with other states for free.
"It's a common-sense solution," said Democratic freshman Sen. Dave Aronberg, the former assistant attorney general from South Florida who investigated Purdue. "The evil of doctor shopping has to be stopped."
