[Med-privacy] Florida Drug Tracking Database

[pmarshall]

 Critics Attack Plans for Florida Drug Tracking Database

   January 20, 2004

   Patients and physicians on Friday spoke out against Florida=92s
proposed statewide database that would track
   prescription drugs, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The program would
allow physicians, pharmacists and
   law-enforcement officers with active investigations to track drugs
that are most likely to be addictive or
   abused (Bloodsworth, Orlando Sentinel, 1/17).

   A state Senate health care panel earlier this month unanimously
endorsed the database, which would track
   more than 100 commonly prescribed medications and store the
information for two years (iHealthBeat,
   1/7). The program also has won the support of the Florida Medical
Association, said state Sen. Mike Fasano
   (R), the bill=92s sponsor (Orlando Sentinel, 1/17).

   The bill (H1017), backed by Gov. Jeb Bush (R), would require
physicians to submit patient and prescription
   information to the Florida Department of Health. Once a prescription
is filled, pharmacists would send an
   electronic record of the order to the department. Physicians and
pharmacists could search the database
   while a patient is in the exam room or pharmacy. If they notice
anything unusual about the patient=92s
   prescriptions, they could contact law enforcement or state health
officers.

   House Speaker Johnnie Byrd (R) and other Republican lawmakers are
pressing for limits on the system
   because of privacy concerns. To address the concerns, the bill orders
the database to be destroyed in two
   years if the Legislature doesn=92t renew it (iHealthBeat, 1/7). Fasano=

and James McDonough, director of the
   Florida Office of Drug Control, said that the database will protect
the privacy of legitimate patients and
   physicians. The proposed bill would make it a third-degree felony for
unauthorized use of patient
   information.

   Critics, however, said the database could have a =93chilling effect=94=

and make doctors reluctant to treat
   patients who need serious painkillers, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Fasano and McDonough said the fears
   are unfounded and that the database would protect legitimate patients
and doctors.

   The Association of American Physicians & Surgeons, an out-of-state
group, also voiced its concerns about
   the database. Fasano said out-of-state groups could be concerned
because the software for the database
   could be shared with other states. He said that no one in the Florida
medical community opposed the bill
   (Bloodsworth, Orlando Sentinel, 1/17).


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