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Publication: The News-Press
Date: 02-11-04
BY SARAH LUNDY
slundy@news-press.com
It saddened state Sen. Burt Saunders,
R-Naples to hear about the death of 18-year-old Matt
Taylor.
Another young person lost to OxyContin. This is happening
far too often, he said.
In November a friend’s son died
after overdosing on the painkiller. This prompted the
senator to learn more about prescription drug abuse.
The drugs start off being prescribed
and somehow — often through unscrupulous doctors
and patients— make it to the street, Saunders
said.
“(OxyContin) has caused untold
suffering and cost the state millions of dollars in
fraud and abuse,” he said.
Saunders heads up a Senate subcommittee on Medicaid
Prescriptions Drug Over-Prescribing.
The subcommittee, which includes Sen.
Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey and Sen. Dave Aronberg,
D-Greenacres, is focusing on doctors who overprescribe
drugs to Medicaid patients, pharmacists who fill prescriptions
from dead doctors and doctors not qualified to prescribe
under the Medicaid program. It also is looking at Medicaid
patients who shop for doctors willing to write them
prescriptions.
A public hearing is scheduled today
in Orlando.
‘There is a whole other side
to the prescription drug problem.” Saunders said.
The subcommittee plans to recommend legislation in March
for the Senate Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term
Care. |
