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People are absolutely monitoring when a doctor prescribes tons of opiods. The State of California runs a PDMP (prescription drug monitoring program) known as CU
by brbsix 10y ago
People are absolutely monitoring when a doctor prescribes tons of opiods. The State of California runs a PDMP (prescription drug monitoring program) known as CURES (Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System) [0]. It's a database that records detailed information on all Schedule II, III, and IV prescriptions dispensed in California. Though they don't always check, it's accessible to all doctors and pharmacists. Patients can and do get flags on their accounts, (though as I mentioned, doctors and pharmacists will sometimes ignore them). The DEA is very much in the loop. Anecdotally, they seem to be more concerned with doctors (visiting offices to review records) than individual patients.
[0]: https://oag.ca.gov/cures/faqs https://oag.ca.gov/cures/faqs
- mv 10y agoCURES works but at the cost of completely negating any type of privacy protection on medical records. Pretty much anyone (prescriber, dispenser, law enforcement) can pull up CURES reports knowing a persons last name and birthdate. What is the point of HIPAA and medical privacy if anyone can log in and see what scheduled drugs you're taking? From the drugs you take I can pretty much derive your medical history. I consider this a much larger problem than the 'war on drugs'.
- brbsix 10y agoAbsolutely, though I'd argue that this is simply one consequence of the war on drugs rather than separate larger issue. The war on drugs is a masterful play. It's a free pass for law enforcement to circumvent your rights, to search your vehicle (via warrant dog), to enter your home (via anonymous tip), to review your doctor's records, to surveil your activities, to seize your cars, cash or real estate without due process. It's the master key for an authoritatian police state and the selective targeting of undesirables.