Fla. Bill Would Create Database of Controlled-Drug Users April 21, 2004
News Summary
A measure under consideration in the Florida legislature would require the state to develop a database of all Florida residents who receive prescriptions for certain controlled substances, the Associated Press reported April 14.The database would track prescriptions for narcotics, including pain relievers such as oxycodone, Percocet, and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.
Supporters of the bill, including Gov. Jeb Bush, said it would save lives and prevent fraud. Rep. Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart), sponsor of the bill, said deaths from prescription-drug misuse now surpass murders in the state.
Opponents call it an invasion of privacy. "My parents fled a Communist country because everything was being centralized," said Rep. Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah). "A centralized database, knowing what they're taking, what they're not taking, is a little concerning to me."
But Harrell countered, "Medicare is a federal database that contains every single diagnosis, every single procedure, every single thing that has ever happened medically to every senior. We are not going on witch hunts or anything of this sort."
The Florida House of Representatives Health Appropriations Subcommittee approved the measure. It now moves to the full House Appropriations Committee.
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