FLORIDA SENATE HEALTH PANEL HEARS PROS, CONS OF OXYCONTIN PRESCRIPTIONS

Opposing sides clashed Monday in an emotionally charged hearing called by
state senators looking into problems of overprescribing of OxyContin and
other drugs.

About a dozen of the 40 people attending the hearing at the Orlando Public
Library expressed their concerns to a three-member Senate health panel.

Several were parents whose sons died from drug overdoses, while others were
patients who depend on painkillers to get through the day.

"Most of us who have lost loved ones to OxyContin know that our loved ones
were not the stereotypical drug addicts," said Sandra Bell of Pensacola.
Her son Joey Whiting, 30, died in 1999. "My son was not like that."

Whiting became addicted to OxyContin that he was prescribed for a shoulder
injury he suffered at the grocery store where he worked, Bell said.

But pain patients told the senators they feared negative publicity about
OxyContin abuse, addiction and overdose could affect their ability to get
pain medication.

"Please be aware valid pain patients such as myself have great concern,"
said Fred Brown, who said he has used OxyContin and other therapies to
treat pain caused by failed back surgeries.

Brown and a physician were among those who said they worried that a
proposed prescription-tracking system aimed at curbing abuse was
unnecessary and would have a chilling effect on doctors who prescribe
powerful painkillers.

"I don't think the database is the way to go," said Dr. Paul Sovran of
Kissimmee.

He suggested removing OxyContin from a state-approved list of Medicaid
prescription drugs.

Dennis Pence of Kissimmee, who walked to the podium with a cane, said he
thought OxyContin should be banned because it is so powerful. Pence said he
was prescribed OxyContin after back surgery.

"I had breathing problems with it," said Pence, 43, who said he took the
drug for about a week.

He said he stopped when he had trouble breathing at night when he tried to
sleep.

Joe Levy of Apopka said he took 240 milligrams of OxyContin for three
months and did not become addicted.

"I don't know how I would have survived without it," he said. "Please don't
intimidate the doctors, to a certain point, from prescribing OxyContin and
make people suffer needlessly."

Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, responded that his panel was interested only
in curbing illegal use, not restricting the drug for legitimate patients.

In December, Saunders called for the monthlong series of meetings after
reports of overprescribing and high Medicaid costs were featured in the
Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Sen. Dave Aronberg,
D-Greenacres, and Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, also serve on the panel.

Fred Pauzar, head of a Winter Park architect firm, said his son
Christopher, 22, died from an OxyContin overdose in November 2003.

He urged legislators to make changes to save lives and make sure that fraud
does not rob Medicaid money intended for legitimate patients.

Florida Medicaid prescriptions this fiscal year are projected to cost $2.3
billion. State officials estimate that about 10 percent of those costs are
fraudulent.

State drug officials said a prescription-tracking system would catch many
of those problems and cut overdose deaths in half.

Saunders said his panel next week will start crafting legislation to
address the problems, including those discussed at Monday's hearing.