Section of pill mill law temporarily suspended
Jul 6, 2011
The following article was published in the Tampa Tribune on July 6, 2011:
Section of Pill Mill Law Temporarily Suspended
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s surgeon general has temporarily suspended part of the state’s new “pill mill” legislation.
Dr. Frank Farmer signed an emergency order Wednesday that suspended the requirement for physicians to use new counterfeit-proof prescription pads. The order states that many Florida physicians haven’t been able to get the new pads. Since the new law took effect Friday, pharmacies have been refusing to fill otherwise-legitimate scripts.
Florida lawmaker’s unanimously passed a comprehensive “pill mill” law during this past spring’s legislative session. It provides penalties for doctors who overprescribe painkillers, tightens rules for operating pharmacies and includes a prescription-drug monitoring database.
Florida is considered the epicenter of prescription drug abuse. “Pill mills” is the name for pain-management clinics that supply drug dealers and addicts with illicit prescription painkillers.
Find this article here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_PILL_MILL_LAW_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-07-06-20-14-38