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Preventing “Doctor Shopping”

Last fall, then-Governor Tom Corbett signed into law Senate Bill 1180, creating a state-wide controlled substances database, set to take effect in June. ...

 

Last fall, then-Governor Tom Corbett signed into law Senate Bill 1180, creating a state-wide controlled substances database, set to take effect in June.  Proponents say it will cut down on prescription drug abuse by giving doctors the knowledge of who is prescribing what to whom, but opponents have privacy concerns.

Suppose John Doe walks into "Pharmacy A" with a prescription for morphine, given to him by "Dr. B," then does that over and over, using different doctors and different pharmacies.   Right now there's no way for doctors or pharmacists to know that John Doe is what's called a "doctor shopper," a patient looking to score prescription pain medication.  But come this summer, there will be.

"Pennsylvania is #9 on deaths per capita from prescription narcotics, but we're one of the last states to pass a bill like this," said Dr. Michael Kordek, a primary care physician at Geisinger.  He met with us to talk about something called ABC-MAP, the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions program.  Signed into law late last year, the program will create a database, keeping track of whether a patient has been "doctor shopping."  The idea is to cut down on the death rate from prescription drug abuse, something Dr. Kordek applauds.

"The little bit of privacy that you lose for something that's so regulated.. I don't think it's a problem," Dr. Kordek said.

But the American Civil Liberties Union does think it's a problem.  Vic Walczak says the ACLU is strongly opposing the creation of the database because of the amount of privacy issues it raises.

"What it in fact does is lowers the standard for prosecution to be able to get access to people's prescription information," noted Walczak.  He also told us the bill changes the standard for law enforcement using that information from "probable cause" to "reasonable suspicion."

"We believe that's a major, major problem for people's privacy in an area that's extremely important."

Still, Dr. Kordek says given the growing prescription drug abuse problem, ABC-MAP is a start.

"You like to trust your patients.  Sometimes you do.  Sometimes you don't."

Missouri is one state that hasn't created any sort of controlled substances database.  A group of lawmakers there is staunchly opposed and has so far blocked any bill from becoming law.  Pennsylvania's will take effect on June 30th.

 

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