Senate President Haridopolos Praises Pharmaceutical Company For Providing Two Year Funding For State Prescription Database
TALLAHASSEE – Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos announced today that Purdue Pharma L. P. has offered $1 million to provide two years of funding for the state’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). The $1 million grant will be used to help Florida fight the illegal selling and abuse of prescription medication.
“Purdue Pharma has stepped up in an admirable way to provide funding to operate Florida’s monitoring program for the next two years. Funding by the private sector is the vision we had when the Legislature created the program in 2009,” said Senate President Haridopolos. “The prescription database is a key component in helping Attorney General Pam Bondi and Florida’s law enforcement community stamp out the proliferation of illegal selling of prescription drugs. People are dying and families are destroyed by this abuse and we must do whatever we can to stop this scourge on our state.”
More than 30 states have a similar PDMP but Florida’s has never been operational because of a lack of sustainable funding and an on-going bid dispute. Tuesday, a state administrative law judge resolved the bid dispute allowing the database to now go forward.
“We understand that the Governor of Florida is facing difficult choices and financial constraints that may prevent the State from implementing its prescription drug monitoring program,” said John H. Stewart, President and CEO of Purdue. “We appreciate the financial position, but at the same time, believe that a prescription drug monitoring program in Florida can help curb prescription drug abuse in that state and in other states as well. It is our hope that this effort can become part of a larger public/private partnership to address the abuse and diversion of prescription medications.”
Purdue will provide $500,000 a year for a period of two years to the non-profit Florida PDMP Foundation, the organization established to raise funds for the operation of the State’s PDMP, provided the program becomes operational under the legislation passed in 2009. While Purdue is providing funding to operate the database, it will be fully maintained by the State of Florida.
President Haridopolos urges the Florida Department of Health to pass administrative rules to have the PDMP operational as quickly as possible.
http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/Senators/2010-2012/District26/PressRelease/PressRelease20110309114608715
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