Pill Mill Bill Eliminating State Drug Database Passes House Committee

A House measure taking aim at pill mills and eliminating the statewide drug-monitoring database passed the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning.

I commend the members of the House Judiciary Committee for recognizing the importance of this bill and approving it today.This bill is critical in shutting off the supply of dangerous controlled substances at its source and preventing doctor-dealers from directly selling and dispensing these dangerous and highly addictive substances to Floridians, said Rep. Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill, the chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee. To ensure that we are tackling the prescription drug abuse problem in its entirety we have added provisions that limit the dispensing of controlled substances to pharmacies with a significant presence in Florida, strengthen the reporting requirements for distributors of these dangerous controlled substances, and impose criminal penalties on controlled substance distributors who fail to credential purchasers of these drugs.

These additional provisions reflect the real concerns that have been raised about doctor-shopping, fraudulent prescriptions, and inappropriate behavior by pharmacies, added Schenck. I am confident that these measures, along with banning the dispensing and direct sale of controlled substances by doctor-dealers, will be an effective front-end solution that will cut to the heart of our states prescription drug abuse epidemic.

But members of the Senate -- including President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey -- have continued to express support for continuing the database. While Schencks measure should pass the House, the two chambers remain far apart -- leaving the fate of the legislation up in the air.

Schenck's bill -- which would prevent doctors from distributing controlled medicines -- has been changed in the committee process. The measure now would allow large pharmacies -- including publicly traded ones and well-established ones -- the ability to dispense controlled medications. Opponents are attacking the amended bill, arguing it hurts small businesses.