The proposed measure includes a clarified definition for a “dispensing physician,” more requirements for running pain centers and harsher penalties, such as felony charges for those who register and run a pain clinic through misrepresentation or fraud.
Proponents of the prescription drug database say implementing such a system would help crack down on the improper distribution of prescription drugs through doctor shopping. Opponents of the prescription drug database include Gov. Rick Scott, who says privacy protection is his chief reason for repealing the system. Other opponents say highly addictive drugs such as oxycontin are dispensed by pharmacies, not pain physicians.
Read the news report about the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee’s approval of SB 818.
Read other coverage about Florida’s prescription drug database:
– Florida’s ‘Pill Mill’ Regulations Get More Complicated
– Florida Society of Pain Management Providers Sets Record Straight About PDMP