Texas patients who abuse prescription drugs may soon find their stash of medications in short supply.
Texas lawmakers have proposed a new bill to restrict patients that “doctor shop” for prescription medications. The legislation mandates that doctors use monitoring databases that will keep track of patients who make appointments with multiple physicians, thereby making it more difficult to abuse the substances.
Some accuse the doctors of handing out prescriptions too freely and are further dismayed by the fact that only a handful of those physicians who are charged for prescribing violations are actually prosecuted.
Rep. Elliot Naishtat, vice chairman of the House Public Health Committee, says the issue will be addressed in an upcoming session.
“An atmosphere has been created in Texas and other states, an atmosphere of reluctance to, in a broad way, subject doctors and lawyers to criminal prosecutions,” said Naishtat.
The proposed legislation also includes other methods for lowering the rate of prescription drug abuse, such as providing incentives for doctors who utilize the monitoring database.