Back in 2008 the state of California made their announcement and it is now alive and ready for use for MDs to check for those patients who may be seeing several MDs for drugs that tend to be abused.
Online Prescription drug database coming to California
In September of 2009 the State of California announced the “California CURES” system to track controlled substances.
California CURES System to Track Prescriptions for Controlled Substances Getting a Major Upgrade
Arizona has quite a bit of work involved in their data base as well.
Arizona Data Base for Physicians and Pharmacists to locate the “Doctor Shopping Patients”
Now we are seeing efforts of the states combining their data efforts to enable doctors to be able to check and see if a patient has been receiving controlled substance prescriptions across state lines. Privacy issues of course are at hand here and abuse concerns with using the data base to single out those who are using controlled substances for legitimate reasons and have health conditions that call for the drugs certainly do not need to be included for any type of an alert. Again, by combining resources here and being used as designed and not to harass patients who are prescribed the drugs for legitimate reasons.
Where I see this being useful is something huge like in Florida with the Oxycontin Express where blatant abuse is around every corner. The video at the link below is well worth the watch and is an eye opener on things that are seen in Florida and the masses of individuals that travel there for controlled substance prescriptions.
The “OxyContin Express” in Florida – Pain Management Abuse Documentary
I hope areas like the one on Florida will be included as doctors will be able to identify potential participants traveling to the state to get drugs with the fake store front pharmacies. BD
RALEIGH, N.C. — Starting next year, dozens of states will begin knitting together databases to watch prescription drug abuse, from powerful painkillers to diet pills.
With federal money and prodding, states are being asked to sign onto an agreement allowing police, pharmacies and physicians to check suspicious prescription pill patterns from Nevada to North Carolina.
Civil liberties and privacy advocates have objected to the state databases, which would be linked with technology and standards developed by the Justice and Homeland Security departments.
Thirty-four states operate databases to fight a drug problem authorities say is growing more deadly than heroin.
States linking prescription databases, fight abuse - Health - msnbc.com
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