Prescription drug denials gaining traction with state leaders

Controlled Substances Standards Committee to address problems

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The committee, which is comprised of four Florida Board of Pharmacy members, will work on this issue over the summer and look at changes that can be made without legislation. Their meetings are said to be open to the public.

Prescription drug denials gaining traction with state leaders
Controlled Substances Standards Committee to address problems

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —The state House voted Wednesday to extend what’s become known as Florida’s Pill Mill bill.

DEA, State Attorney’s staff discuss prescription drug issues
DEA State Attorney meet to discuss prescription drug problem

Staff members from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office and Drug Enforcement Administration officials had a closed-door meeting Tuesday to discuss the prescription drug issues plaguing Florida.
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DEA, State Attorney’s staff discuss prescription drug…
DEA State Attorney meet to discuss prescription drug problem

Staff members from State Attorney Pam Bondi’s office and DEA officials met behind closed doors on Tuesday to discuss why patients with legitimate prescriptions are being denied pain medications. WESH 2’s Matt Grant (@MattGrantWESH) has the latest.
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The law brought a massive crackdown on doctors’ offices and pharmacies filling medication that fueled the state’s prescription drug overdose problem.

The same bill passed the Senate and will go to Gov. Rick Scott, who is expected to sign the legislation.

The Pill Mill law is credited with ushering a wave of restrictions causing patients with legitimate prescriptions to be denied their medication.

WESH 2 learned Wednesday that the Florida Board of Pharmacy, which operates under the Department of Health, has convened a special committee, called the Controlled Substances Standards Committee, to address the problem.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s staff met with the DEA Monday to talk about patients in Florida who are unable to get needed medications.

Some lawmakers said that meeting is an encouraging sign.

“I’ve spoken with the attorney general. She assured me that they’re working to try to make sure this issue is being resolved,” Rep. Dwayne Taylor said.

“I’m encouraged that Attorney General Bondi is meeting with the DEA about this issue, but if I don’t see any movement over the summer I’ll be filing a bill with the best of my ability to try to at least alleviate, if not solve, the problem,” Sen. Darren Soto said. “I do know what is happening now is robbing people of legitimate prescriptions,” Soto said.

Soto called for a hearing on the topic in February, but the Senate’s Health Police Committee chairman Sen. Aaron Bean denied the request, saying it’s not a state issue.

“When it’s outside of your purview, we can call attention to it from the federal government, as we have, and let’s hope they’ll come and give that some attention,” Bean said.

“The DOH is extremely concerned about this issue,” Florida Department of Health official Lucy Gee said.

Gee also said the Department of Health plans to take action for patients, and that she and her colleagues are working to talk with wholesalers, chain pharmacies and doctors for a workable solution for patients who are denied legitimate prescriptions.

“We’re also very optimistic that we are going to come up with solutions that maintain the safety guard rails that were established by the Legislature but ensure patients receive the drugs that they need,” Gee said.

One of the things the Controlled Substances Standards Committee will examine is the red flags pharmacists are trained to look for, such as being warned not to fill prescriptions from doctors who aren’t local.

“We are very optimistic that something will change,” Gee said.

The committee, which is comprised of four Florida Board of Pharmacy members, will work on this issue over the summer and look at changes that can be made without legislation. Their meetings are said to be open to the public.

Filed under: General Problems