Monday morning, Sen. Norma Champion, R-Springfield, will join Greene County law enforcement officers to talk about Senate Bill 85.
Champion's proposal would create a new program to monitor the distribution of controlled drugs. Pharmacies would have to keep tabs on each prescription, patient and prescriber. That information would be turned over the state once a month to see if there has been any violation of law or breach of professional standards. The information would be kept private except for doctors, law enforcement, and Medicaid personnel. There's also language there that would let me see my record. Anyone who's identified as an addict will be encouraged to get treatment. And the whole thing can go away after six years if people aren't happy with it.
We talked with Ron Fitzwater, CEO of the Missouri Pharmacy Association. He says philosophically the MPA agrees with the proposal but wants to work with Champion and other lawmakers on some of the logistics. There are concerns over handling situations where husbands and wives pick up prescriptions for their spouses. How do you track that information at a drive-through window? Fitzwater said there are models in other states.
Medicaid. Medicare. Meth ingredients. Now another government-mandated proposal? We'll be interested in getting pharmacists' take on the idea.
No comments:
Post a Comment