Florida has become known for prescription drug abuse. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, of the 50 practitioners who dispensed the most oxycodone in the country in 2008-09, 49 of them were in Florida, making Florida a destination for drug traffickers and addicts. Some Florida practitioners are prescribing and dispensing lethal amounts of controlled substances without providing any real medical care.

Most Florida doctors are dedicated professionals, but a few disreputable medical professionals are profiting by prescribing and dispensing addictive drugs. These physicians often have no ongoing clinical relationship with patients and provide no general medical care - their only undertaking is to prescribe and dispense these dangerous controlled substances.

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The state Legislature has taken important first steps in combating the prescription drug epidemic that has taken hold of the Tampa Bay area, but there is still much more work to be done. One bill alone will not solve this crisis, as the criminals responsible for it are very resourceful when it comes to finding and exploiting legal loopholes. While some loopholes in the recently passed legislation are already known, others may not become evident until later. The Legislature must take the appropriate measures to ensure these loopholes are closed. It will take the assistance of the medical profession to weed out the bad actors who prey on our residents and assist the criminal element.

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