Florida to Push Prescription Drug Tracking

Top Florida officials, with the encouragment of the company that manufactures and markets OcyContin, plan to push legislation that would create a prescription-tracking database system in hopes of reducing an epidemic of drug-related deaths in the state.

Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd have joined forces to push for the legislation, which failed to pass in the last two legislative sessions, after a report in the Orlando Sentinel exposed a growing problem of addiction and overdose deaths caused by prescription drug abuse.

Purdue Pharma, the Connecticut-based manufacturer of OxyContin, pledged $2 million in November 2002 to help set up the database tracking system after the state dropped an investigation into the company's marketing practices. The system will track all prescription drugs that can be abused.

"We are working with the governor's administration and legislative leaders, as we did last year, to encourage passage of the legislation," Purdue spokesman Jim Heins said.

Jim McDonough, the state's drug program director told the Sentinel he thought the system would cut drug-related deaths in half and estimated $3 million annual cost would be more than paid for by savings from Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

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