STATE TARGETS 'DOCTOR SHOPPING'

Prescription Abuse Spurs Drug Heists, Daytona Chief Says

DAYTONA BEACH -- Nine people die every day in Florida from abusing
prescription drugs, according to state officials.

That statistic -- which translates to more than 3,000 people a year --
is outlined in a new bill that will put an electronic system in place
aimed at curbing people getting prescriptions for certain controlled
substances from multiple doctors.

But the legislation that passed this past session is causing a stir
with 13 state legislators who are asking Gov. Charlie Crist to veto
the bill because they say it will "seriously undermine the safety and
security" of people's personal information.

Crist received the bill Monday and has until June 23 to act on it. An
area police chief, pharmacist and local officials at area substance
abuse treatment agencies, which have seen an increase in people
abusing prescription drugs, said something is needed to reduce not
only abuse, but crime.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said people are driving into
Florida because they know there are doctors who will prescribe large
amounts of pain medication for something as "ridiculous" as a sprained
tongue.

On top of that, there has been a rash of pharmacy robberies, he
said.

"My concern is we will have a pharmacist killed," Chitwood said. "You
have these desperados coming here who will do anything they can for
the drug so they can swallow it, snort it or inject it."

Chitwood said about 90 percent of area crime is caused by people
abusing crack cocaine, oxycodone or other drugs.

Randy Margrave, a pharmacist at Holly Hill Pharmacy, supports a
database. He said the pharmacy gets 10 to 15 calls a day from people
trying to fill large doses of prescriptions from South Florida
doctors, which they won't fill.

Advocates have pushed for a drug database for eight years as
prescriptions drug abuse has been on the rise among adults and teens.
If signed by the governor, a system would be in place by Dec. 1, 2010.
Pain management facilities would have to register with the state and
be inspected. The system would be paid through federal grants and
private funding.

Bill sponsor Rep. Marcelo Llorente, R-Miami, said the legislation will
eliminate pill mills or pain clinics that are dispensing drugs in a
"reckless manner and enabling the tragic deaths of countless people."
Attorney General Bill McCollum sent a letter to Crist Monday urging
his approval and stating "these crimes are occurring in every corner
of our state and they must be stopped."

Thirty-eight states have similar legislation and 32 systems are
operational, according to state officials.

But some South Florida legislators say the bill doesn't protect from
"cyber terrorists," pointing to a Virginia system that was hacked into
recently.

"I want to see an accurate one that protects privacy," said Rep. Carl
Domino, R-Jupiter, who proposed a bill that would have used
fingerprinting and numbers to identify people, but failed to pass.

Llorente said a taskforce and the Office of Drug Control will ensure
individuals are protected.

Numbers available from the state's Medical Examiners Commission show
the concern with prescription drugs. There were 60 deaths in Volusia
County in 2007 that involved oxycodone; 37 involving hydrocodone; and
38 involving methadone compared to 84 deaths involving cocaine.

Dr. Brenton Thrasher, who works with clients at Stewart-Marchman-Act
Behavioral Healthcare, said something is needed to prevent people from
"doctor shopping" -- going from one doctor to the next to get
medication. The agency saw 151 clients last year in outpatient detox
and 73 so far this year, about 90 percent for prescription drug abuse,
Thrasher said.

Most of the calls to the agency's helpline also deal with prescription
pain pills. About 30 to 40 percent of people from all genders and ages
going to Serenity House for assessments also have prescription drug
abuse as the primary or secondary diagnosis.

"(This database) would be one tool in the tool box," said Randy Croy,
Serenity House executive director.

But Rep. Domino said the proposed system approved by the legislature
has flaws. He said information doesn't have to be inputted for 15 days
after the drug is sold. If someone went to one pharmacy and another a
few days later, he said, it likely will not show up. Rep. Llorente
said his bill is a "basic framework" and ultimately information will
be inputted within 24 to 48 hours.

Chitwood said he'd prefer Domino's fingerprinting system, "but I'll
take anything we can get our hands on now."