The Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Database has been a smashing success for the Lee County Sheriff's office now opening over 175 investigations in just one month.  Doctors and pharmacies are required to report certain prescriptions such as Oxycontin when they are written or filled.  Presently, pharmacies are not required to check the database before filling a prescription although a Senate Bill was introduced in November that would make it a requirement.

One pharmacy in Lee County in November that does check the database turned over 40 cases to the task force.  As a Lee county drug lawyer I have seen a spike in criminal arrests for prescription fraud.  Law enforcement is cracking down on the pill mills and there has been a spike in admissions to SWAFAS in the last ninety days.  The sad side affect is that many people are turning to heroin as pills become harder to get.  The more that the police crack down on doctor shopping the more people already addicted to opiates turn to the harder stuff.  Still at some pain management clinics people pay as much as $50 to jump in line to get their scripts written by some of the less ethical doctors.

Sadly, nothing yet has been done to stem the real problem.  The drug companies continue to supply a nation of addicts and the DEA has done nothing to reduce their quotas for production.  The focus on addicts is an example of typical law enforcement thinking when it comes to solving the problem.  As a Ft. Myers criminal defense attorney I would rather see the production of the pills cut.  Arresting addicts is simply prosecuting people who now have an illness.  We need a little more forward thinking when it comes to solving this terrible problem,  Post your comments or contact me if you have questions.