Just two days after Florida's House leaders moved to eliminate pain clinic regulations proposed by the Florida Board of Medicine, a Senate committee has moved to approve the new rules, stirring even more controversy in the debate over pain management clinics in Florida, according to a WCTV news report.
In 2009 and 2010, Florida legislators passed regulations requiring clinics and physicians' offices that treat pain patients to register as pain clinics. Under the new regulation, pain clinics would also be subject to state inspections. Lawmakers charged the state boards of medicine and osteopathic medicine to formulate governing rules over the conduct of pain clinic physicians, according to the news report.
Proposed pain clinic regulations cover two bills, one that includes a planned prescription-drug database. The boards' proposed rules, however, have been on hold because new legislation requires the proposed rules receive legislative ratification before they go into effect.
House leaders want a ban on physicians' ability to prescript drugs to patients and a requirement that prescriptions be filled at pharmacies. They believe these two actions would eliminate the need for the regulations and consequently move to stop the ratification process. However, the Senate Health Regulation Committee moved to begin the ratification process, signaling the stark difference in opinion between the two state legislative bodies.
Read the news report about Florida's proposed rules on pain clinics.
Read other coverage about Florida's pain clinics:
- String of Pain Clinics in Florida, Texas Forced to Shut Down Operations
- Florida Society of Pain Management Providers Sets Record Straight About PDMP
- DEA Agents Arrest Physicians, Owners in Florida Pill Mill Raid
In 2009 and 2010, Florida legislators passed regulations requiring clinics and physicians' offices that treat pain patients to register as pain clinics. Under the new regulation, pain clinics would also be subject to state inspections. Lawmakers charged the state boards of medicine and osteopathic medicine to formulate governing rules over the conduct of pain clinic physicians, according to the news report.
Proposed pain clinic regulations cover two bills, one that includes a planned prescription-drug database. The boards' proposed rules, however, have been on hold because new legislation requires the proposed rules receive legislative ratification before they go into effect.
House leaders want a ban on physicians' ability to prescript drugs to patients and a requirement that prescriptions be filled at pharmacies. They believe these two actions would eliminate the need for the regulations and consequently move to stop the ratification process. However, the Senate Health Regulation Committee moved to begin the ratification process, signaling the stark difference in opinion between the two state legislative bodies.
Read the news report about Florida's proposed rules on pain clinics.
Read other coverage about Florida's pain clinics:
- String of Pain Clinics in Florida, Texas Forced to Shut Down Operations
- Florida Society of Pain Management Providers Sets Record Straight About PDMP
- DEA Agents Arrest Physicians, Owners in Florida Pill Mill Raid