Texas Senate Bill 1879!
 

Finally! A Bill that proposes fines and punishment and a DATABASE for prescription drugs! As it stands now, the only narcotics that are tracked are the Schedule II's. That includes Morphine. Vicodin, Loracet, (codeine based substances), Soma and muscle relaxer types (Benzos) are Schedule III's, therefore, they aren't being tracked. The Department of Public Safety has knowledge and access to the Schedule II's. This Bill was filed on March 9, reviewed on March 22, and it sits waiting for attention from the committee. Hopefully, if passed, this will curb the doctor shopping! If you live in Texas, please go to the State of Texas website www.legis.state.tx.us and find out who your representative is and email him/her with your concerns and backing of this Bill! THIS IS THE BEST NEWS I'VE HEARD LATELY! Remember, this is SENATE BILL 1879 (not House Bill).

I contacted my Rep!!!

I believe we need bills like this. However, I would like to see the people who doctor shop get the same exact penalty as the doctors who allow it. If we throw a doctor in jail, throw the buyer in jail too.

This seems a good bill. However, the thing that needs to happen with any of these bills is simultaneous funding for support staff to track, enforce etc.

I see a lot of this.. the Legislative Body will pass a bill that is very popular but provide no funds to enforce the statute once passed.

For instance (this is just an example), a bill will pass to keep pedophiles off the streets longer and increase penalties for first offenses. This will get signed into law. Meanwhile no additional funding will be made availalble to hire extra prison guards or policemen or computer operators to track, arrest and confine in support of the bill. Meanwhile, the politicians get kudos and re-elected because they passed this important legislation.

I have seen elected officials actually increase the penalty for first offense violent criminals and cut funding for enforcement and prisons.. or will increase funding for administration but not for officers.

I hope Texas does pass this and also provides the funding for the personnel to make it work well.

My local Sheriff and our District Rep are the ones who proposed this. They will be bringing a coroner with them to Austin to testify, along with private citizens. A coroner you ask?? Yes because he is overwhelmed with deaths that are caused by prescription drug overdoses alone.