The Pennsylvania Legislature passed SB 1180, Oct. 16, putting it on Gov. Corbett’s desk for his expected signature.
Senate Bill 1180 creates a statewide database of certain prescription medication records says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
The database — maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Health — would collect Pennsylvanian ’ prescription records for substances on Schedules II-V of the federal Controlled Substances Act. These medications include OxyContin, Tylenol with codeine and Valium.
Medical practitioners and pharmacists would have access to this database. Patients would be able to obtain prescription records at no charge once a year.
The database would alert practitioners to patients who may be “doctor or pharmacy shopping” to feed an addiction, Cox said.
Law enforcement would only be able to access the database through the state Office of Attorney General if relevant to an active investigation, Cox said.
