Pill Mill Docs Identified, Punished by State -- Even Without Database

Amid all the political posturing over the need for a statewide prescription drug database, the state of Florida continues to identify and punish "pill mill" doctors who abuse their privileges.

The Board of Medicine, which has final order authority over disciplinary cases involving physicians and physician assistants, "regularly assesses fines and penalties against licensees who violate the prescribing rules and regulations," said Department of Health spokeswoman MichelleDahnke.

"Specifically, the board has disciplined37 physicians in the last year for prescribing violations.The sanctions included the imposition of fines, costs, probation, suspension and the requirement to complete continuing education courses related to prescribing," Dahnke told Sunshine State News.

Those numbers may not be impressive to database proponents who call Florida the pill mill capital of the nation, but the fact is: penalties are being assessed -- even though the Department of Health has no formal "police powers."

DOHalso regulates pain management clinics and is authorized to discipline any pain management clinic and the physicians working in them as set forth in Sections 458.3265 and 459.0137 of the Florida Statutes, Dahnke said.

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