Oregon lawmakers for a third time are considering a proposal to develop a statewide electronic database to track certain controlled prescriptions in an effort to curb drug abuse, the AP/Salem Statesman Journal reports. Previous attempts to create a statewide prescription database were stalled by privacy concerns and the potential for abuse by law enforcement officials.
The current proposal calls for the creation of a database to track three classes of drugs, including drugs such as Valium and Percocet. The database would allow physicians and pharmacists treating patients to view their history and detect possible problems. The only other people permitted to access the database would be lawmakers with a legitimate investigation, a professional regulatory board or other states with comparable databases, the AP/Statesman Journal reports.
Oregon is one of 17 states that does not have a prescription drug database in place, according to Paige Clark, a pharmacist with the Oregon Board of Pharmacy. States surrounding Oregon do track controlled substances, making Oregon a target for prescription drug abusers, according to the AP/Statesman Journal.
Several medical and pharmacy groups support the proposal and say it would help curb drug abuse and encourage providers to care for those who really do need help. However, the American Civil Liberties Union says that the database is an intrusion of the physician-patient relationship and that it puts patients' personal data at risk and offers no recourse for patients who are misidentified or whose data are misused.
The Oregon Senate will hold more hearings on the proposal before making a decision (Skidmore, AP/Salem Statesman Journal, 2/1).