Florida Lawmakers Reject Prescription Drug Database

Florida Lawmakers Reject Prescription Drug Database
May 5, 2004

News Summary

Citing concerns over privacy issues, Florida lawmakers defeated a bill that would have established a prescription drug database that would monitor patients' prescriptions of addictive painkillers to prevent misuse and overdose deaths, the Orlando Sentinel reported May 1.

"This goes far in violation of constitutionally protected liberties," said Rep. Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach). "It has some advantages, but we'd have to accept some other deprivations of liberty that I don't think we should tolerate."

However, the Florida legislature approved a bill that would give the Agency for Health Care Administration more authority to address prescription-drug misuse and Medicaid fraud.

Under the latter bill, state health officials would be able to ban doctors from the government insurance program if they write too many prescriptions. In addition, the bill would deny Medicaid benefits to anyone convicted of defrauding the plan.

The bill awaits Gov. Jeb Bush's signature.

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