Dear Editor:
Re: Thursday's front page article, "Monitoring Prescriptions."
The entire piece is about "the Narcotics Act bill," sponsored by Sen. Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, and a hearing, of some sort, about those who support it, and the "prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP)."
However, it is not until the fourteenth paragraph do we learn this bill "did not make it out of committee, but an alternative to PDMP sponsored by Sen. Rob Schafer, R-St. Louis, did."
The article touted how the failed bill would allow health care professionals to have access to their patient's "prescription narcotic history."
Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, said, "When a physician can look at their patient's narcotic history, they (sic) can make the best call for the patient "
But under the bill that made it out of committee, "health care physicians would not have access to the information in the PDMP, but would only be able to input information into the database."
First NT, could we have a coherent and current article?
Secondly, could the state senators and representatives identify, precisely, the drug abuse problems they trying to do something about? I doubt we are really concerned about prescription drug abuse. But even so, maybe we need better physician education about opioid prescription addiction.
Otherwise, the State of Missouri should be careful not to start invading noncriminal citizens' rights to privacy!
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