The Florida PDMP Foundation, Inc.

Stop Prescription Drug Overdose – Help Fund the Florida PDMP

The Foundation serves to save lives – the lives of students, the lives of parents, the lives of friends and families, the lives of our next-door neighbors and the lives of the citizens in our community – by fundraising for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).

The Prescription Drug Epidemic

Prescription drug abuse has achieved epidemic proportions in the U.S. during the past decade. Florida is the epicenter for diverted controlled prescription drugs. Not only Floridians but also out-of-state drug seekers flock to Florida to get these still easily obtained controlled substances; indeed, so prevalent is this phenomenon that it has been labeled the “Flamingo Express.” As of September 2009, 25 of the top 50 dispensing practitioners of oxycodone nationwide were located in Broward County. Another 24 (for a total of 49 of the 50) of these top oxycodone dispensing practitioners were located in the West and Central areas of Florida.

These dispensing physicians typically work in “pill mills” that prescribe and/or dispense pain relievers with at best a cursory exam to people who often see multiple physicians for the same “ailment.” These “doctor shoppers” will hide the fact that another physician prescribed them the same medicine, which is a felony offense. A “pill mill” is a doctor’s office, clinic or health care facility that routinely colludes in the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances outside the scope of the prevailing standards of medical practice in the community or violates the laws of the State of Florida regarding the prescribing or dispensing of controlled prescription drugs.

Note: All pain management clinics are not pill mills, but pill mills often represent themselves as pain management clinics, i.e., pain management is a legitimate medical practice subverted by a small number of medical practitioners for illegal and unprofessional purposes.

The abuse and diversion of controlled substance prescription medication is a major public health and safety concern in Florida.  According to the 2010 Florida Medical Examiners Commission Report on Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons, prescription medications such as Benzodiasepines and Oxycodone, Methadone, Morphine, and Hydrocodone caused the most deaths of drugs tracked by this report.  The report also indicated 2,539 individuals died with at least one prescription drug in their system that was identified as the cause of death.  This is a reduction of 6.37% from last year.  We are seeing positive results.

Statutory Authorization for the Foundation: Section 893.055, Florida Statutes

The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) was passed during the 2009 legislative session in an effort to stop prescription drug abuse and diversion in Florida. Governor Charlie Crist signed SB 462 into law on June 18, 2009, providing Florida with the ability to improve patient standard of care and reduce controlled prescription drug abuse and diversion. This section also authorizes the establishment of the PDMP Foundation for the benefit of the PDMP to help implement the database and sustain its continuing operations. It is a 501(c)(3), pending IRS approval, non-profit organization incorporated with the Department of State.

The Florida PDMP Foundation, Inc.
Dave Bowen, Chairman
2901 SW 149th Avenue, 4th Floor
Miramar, FL 33027
dbowen@ahcs.com