Establishing a prescription drug monitoring program in Missouri may once again be back on the table.
Representative Kevin Engler has introduced a bill that would create a prescription drug database. He says the point is to curb the abuse of prescription drugs in the state.
“So this would give doctors ability to see if someone [is] doctor shopping, and in all probably trying to get oxy to sell, and we’d like that to stop bc people dying all over state with drug overdoese from legal drugs being illegally used,” Engler said.
A similar measure failed last year. Senator Rob Schaaf, a leading opponent of such a database, says it’s an infringement on people’s privacy.
“I think it’s a severe intrusion of our liberty to have the government create a database that is accessible by thousands of people,” Schaaf said.
But Schaaf has now introduced his own legislation that would also establish a prescription drug program. Unlike Engler’s version, Schaaf’s would require a popular vote.
“If the people of Missouri want to have a government run database accessible by 1000s of people with sensitive information on it, they should be free to do so,” Schaaf said. “But I do not believe that it’s the place of the legislature to do this to them.”
Both lawmakers say they’d oppose the each others’ bills. Missouri is the only state that doesn’t have any type of drug monitoring program.