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Prescription monitoring on tap in Florida

Legislation supported by the Florida Medical Assn. and the governor would be implemented with financial support from Purdue Pharma.

By Andis Robeznieks, amednews staff. April 7, 2003.

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Florida physicians knew a prescription-monitoring bill would be introduced in the state Legislature again this year, so they have worked to get one they could live with.

"The bill last year had problems from the start, and we worked hard to get rid of some of the more onerous provisions," said Florida Medical Assn. Director of Governmental Affairs Francesca Plendl.

Last year's bill, which required sending a copy of all narcotic prescriptions to the state attorney general, would have been a "logistical nightmare," Plendl said. In contrast, this year's bill calls on pharmacies to enter the information into the prescription database.

"I think that, quite frankly, a lot of the physical work will be done by the pharmacists," Plendl said. "The work does not increase for the doctor."

The Florida Legislature convened in early March, but Gov. Jeb Bush has been lobbying for a law to track prescribing patterns of controlled substances since January when he hosted a statewide summit on drug abuse.

Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Rusty Payne said about half of the nation's doctors operate under monitoring laws, although only 19 states have prescription-monitoring programs.

The medical community has mixed feelings about prescription monitoring. Some physicians fear it hampers the treatment of pain, while others believe that doctors who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear from such a program. Despite strong support from high-ranking officials, there are plenty of open seats on the prescription-monitoring bandwagon.