FLORIDA TARGETING 'PILL MILLS'

MIAMI-Florida's legislature passed a bill that aims to crack down on
the notorious "pill mills" that have made the state the epicenter of
illegal prescription-drug sales in the country.

The bill, which passed both the House and Senate unanimously on
Friday, stiffens penalties for doctors who overprescribe medication
and for individuals who improperly set up pain-management clinics. It
also tightens reporting requirements to a soon-to-be-created
drug-monitoring database.

Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who had been lambasted by critics in and
outside of the state for his opposition to the database, plans to sign
the measure into law, said spokesman Brian Burgess.

"To demonstrate his commitment to fighting the pill-mill problem," Mr.
Burgess added, the governor made an appearance in the House chamber as
lawmakers debated the bill on Friday night.

Pill mills-dubious storefront operations that dispense painkillers
like oxycodone without conducting medical examinations of buyers-have
proliferated in Florida in recent years. Law-enforcement officials say
the problem has stemmed in part from poor regulation.

The bill bars physicians from dispensing painkillers in their offices
or clinics, though certain exceptions were carved out, including for
surgeons and hospices. And it shortens the deadline to report
prescriptions to the drug database to seven days from 15.

Mr. Scott had previously called for canceling the database, citing
concerns with patient privacy and the potential for it to require
state funding (though such funding is prohibited under the 2009 law
that set up the program). His opposition triggered withering criticism
from officials in Appalachian states that say they are getting flooded
with illegally bought pills from Florida.

Partly to address the governor's privacy worries, lawmakers inserted
language in the bill requiring that database administrators undergo
FBI background checks. In addition, under the 2009 measure, law
enforcement can only access the database as part of an active
investigation.

Mr. Scott "still has concerns about the database but believes his
rule-making authority and oversight will help avoid problems," Mr.
Burgess said.

The prescription-monitoring program is expected to start functioning
on Aug. 28, according to Greg Giordano, chief legislative assistant
for Republican state Sen. Mike Fasano, who sponsored the 2009 law and
the current pill-mill legislation. He said $1.3 million in private
funds has been raised for the database-enough to cover its setup costs
and 18 months of operation.

That program, coupled with the enforcement measures in the new law,
will help Florida begin to stamp out its pill mills, said Republican
state Attorney General Pam Bondi. Her message to the people running
them: "Pack your bags and get out of our state, or you're going to
prison."

In March, she and Mr. Scott announced another initiative: a "pill mill
strike force" that will pull staff and resources from various state
agencies to combat prescription-drug abuse. The effort was launched
with $800,000 in federal grant money. For the coming fiscal year, the
legislature has allocated an additional $3 million, said Steve Casey,
executive director of the Florida Sheriffs Association.

Law enforcement can use the help. According to the sheriffs
association, major-crimes units typically report that at least half of
their investigations are linked in some way to prescription drugs.
Among the examples they cite are pharmacy robberies and drug deals
gone awry.

Officials in Appalachian states welcomed the news that Florida was
poised to enact a new pill-mill law. "This is another weapon in the
battle against this problem," said Democratic Lt. Gov. Daniel
Mongiardo of Kentucky, who had criticized Mr. Scott's previous
opposition to the drug-monitoring program. But lawmakers "have to
continue on," he said. "You can't rest."