"Pill-Mill" Bill Unanimously Passes Both Senate and House May 6, 2011
The Pill Mill Bill that regulates pain clinics was passed unanimously by both Houses of Florida's Legislature on Friday, May 6th, includes among other things, a ban on physicians dispensing most narcotics from their offices, with exceptions for surgical procedures, clinical trials, methadone clinics and hospice.
Other items in the Bill are the passing of the "Drug Database" which would require posting within seven days, enhanced penalties (both administrative and criminal) for physicians who overprescribe narcotics and violate standards of care, requirements for criminal background checks for staff members and pharmacies that have access to the Drug Database, and certain requirements on practitioners who prescribe controlled substances, such as that they register with the Department of Health, that they comply with specific standards of care, and that they use specific Department of Health approved forms. Additionally, a mandatory buy-back program is to be initiated, in which physicians are required to return unused narcotics to distributors.
There will also be a change in the level of responsibility for wholesale drug distributors, requiring distributors to report where narcotics are going to the state and to check credentials of pharmacies that order them.