Online drug monitoring targets 'doctor shoppers' State, National, International, posted by Editor, Danville Weekly Online, on Sep 18, 2009 at 9:46 am
A new program unveiled Tuesday by California Attorney General Jerry Brown will provide doctors, pharmacists and police with a new weapon to slow down the rising tide of prescription drug abuse in the state. And Danville resident Bob Pack is largely responsible.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, September 17, 2009, 8:56 PM
Posted by Farmer Dave, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Sep 18, 2009 at 9:46 am Farmer Dave is a member (registered user) of Danville Express
I'm concerned that the CURES may be worse than the disease. Now we will have a state database of exactly what medications all our residents are using. It will do nothing to deter the use of illegal drugs, even though those statistics were confusingly added to the article.
Much was made of the technical safeguards to privacy, but the database will be accessed by humans. We know from "scoops" on celebrity hospital records how secure that can be.
George Orwell's prediction was only 15 years premature.
Posted by Jerold Kaplan, M.D., a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Sep 18, 2009 at 10:19 am
As a physician, I laud CURES. Pain is a great disabler, and should and can be controlled, but unfortunately, a significant number of individuals are addicted or illegally diverting drugs. There is currently no easy way for a physician to know what other prescriptions a patient has obtained, and on several occassions I have been called by pharmacists who have discovered multiple prescriptions obtained by "doctor shopping". The data base, I hope, will not be open to everyone, so that the small possible loss of privacy will be more than offset by an addition to public safety.
Posted by Farmer Dave, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Sep 18, 2009 at 12:07 pm Farmer Dave is a member (registered user) of Danville Express
Dr. Kaplan,
I see your point, but EVERYONE'S loss of privacy isn't worth the trade-off to protect those few individuals who choose to abuse their bodies. They can still buy drugs illegally.
Posted by Jeff Leston, a resident of another community, on Sep 19, 2009 at 7:01 am
Intersting, but CURES is locking the barn door after the cows have left. Docotr shoppers hit a number of physicians in short order, and by the time it gets into the database it's too late.
If they really want to stop doctor shopping, emial me at jeff@castlestone-llc.com
Posted by Ralph Hoffmann, a resident of the Walnut Creek neighborhood, on Sep 23, 2009 at 8:01 am
There's a ribbon cutting scheduled for the C3 Collective (Medical Marajuana Dispensary), on Thu. October 8, at 5:30pm 1291 Oakland Blvd., Walnut Creek.
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