Pubdate: Sat, 16 Mar 2002
Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV)
Copyright: 2002 Charleston Daily Mail
Contact:  http://www.dailymail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/76

NEW LAW TAKES AIM AT 'DOCTOR SHOPPING'

Gov. Bob Wise has signed a bill that requires pharmacists to report 
prescriptions they fill for OxyContin and other controlled substances.

The new law, signed by the governor Friday, adds schedule III and IV drugs 
to a central repository that will allow physicians to ensure that patients 
aren't getting the same medicine from more than one doctor, according to a 
news release from the governor's communications office.

"The bill was designed to prevent doctor shopping while still respecting 
and preserving the patient's right to obtain doctor-prescribed pain 
medication," Wise said. "The new law will also help law enforcement access 
these records after they've established probable cause."

The Legislature passed a similar bill in 2001, but Wise vetoed the measure 
because it didn't adequately protect the privacy concerns of patients, 
according to the release.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom