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Senate amends and advances real‑time prescription database bill after floor debate; later tabled on fiscal grounds
Summary
Lawmakers amended First Substitute House Bill 119 to create a real‑time controlled‑substances prescription database to track multiple prescriptions and identify misuse; sponsors cited data on dozens of thousands of overlapping prescriptions and the bill was amended and read, then tabled on third because of fiscal concerns.
First Substitute House Bill 119 proposes creation of an online, real‑time database for prescribing and filling controlled substances so that prescribers and pharmacists can detect potential misuse. Senator Bramble presented the bill and described an amendment intended to clarify the definition of 'real time.'
"What this bill does, it creates an online real time database for prescribing and filling prescriptions of controlled substances," Senator Bramble said on the floor. During debate sponsors cited data purportedly showing that in November 2007 there were "over 33,000 instances where an individual got 2 or more prescriptions for controlled substances within a 30 day period." Another floor speaker said in a single week nearly 4,000 individuals had two or more narcotics prescriptions.
Opponents and questions focused on privacy and scope. Senator Knudson asked whether an existing database already provided useful—but not real‑time—information; supporters said the change would make the system timely and therefore more useful to prevent abuse. Senator Stevenson said he was working on a substitute that might add physician accountability features but asked to handle the substitute on third because of fiscal‑note uncertainty.
The Senate adopted Amendment 2 (clarifying real‑time language), moved the measure through a roll‑call reading, and later moved to table it on third reading because of fiscal impact. Sponsors noted the bill's potential to make prescription monitoring more timely; fiscal and implementation details will be resolved before final action.
