After the Florida legislature passed a statewide crackdown on pain clinics, Sarasota County commissioners considered further measures against pill mills, according to a report by Sarasota Patch.
The county commissioners met weeks before the end of county's one-year moratorium on new pain management clinics, set to expire on June 8. A draft of the proposed ordinances would empower the county to put pain clinics on probation or revoke their licenses. County officials could seek warrants, subpoenas, injunctions and issue citations.
The draft ordinances included the following actions against pain clinics:
- Requires clinics to allow county officials to inspect the facility.
- Prevents loitering on the premises or on neighboring properties.
- Requires clinics to confirm the identity of each patient seen.
- Bars clinics from occupying the same property as pharmacies.
- Requires clinics to provide inspectors with personnel and operational records.
- Prevents clinic operations on Sundays or past noon on Saturdays.
- Prevents clinics from accepting cash only.
- Bars anyone convicted of a crime from having authority to issue prescriptions.
The new state legislation, just signed by the governor, bars physicians from dispensing painkillers in their offices, imposes criminal penalties for physicians who overprescribe them, creates more standards for pain clinics and authorizes a prescription-drug monitoring database.
Read the Sarasota Patch article on Florida pain clinics.
Related Articles on Florida Counties' Proposed Crackdowns on Pain Clinics:
Florida County Rethinks Painkiller Legislation After Statewide Restrictions Are Passed
Florida County Considers Requiring Permits for New and Existing Pain Clinics
Florida Internist Dr. Jacinta Gillis Arrested on Suspicion of Running Pill Mills