The American Civil Liberties Union wants Florida to change its rules to prevent the accidental release of confidential information from a state prescription-drug database. An ACLU lawyer called for more privacy safeguards at a public hearing at the state Department of Health in Tallahassee Monday.
The hearing comes after last month's news that a drug probe in Volusia County had led to the release of prescription records for 3,300 people to prosecutors and other attorneys.
But Lorri Abramowitz, a former detective in the pharmaceutical unit of the Duval County Sheriff's Office, says having to get a subpoena or search warrant would slow law enforcement efforts.
"…put us going backwards rather than forwards, in my opinion, because it is working. Doctor-shopping cases are down, at least in Duval County", said Abramowitz. "It is working."
The database was created in 2009 to help prevent "doctor shopping" by drug abusers, and supporters say it has worked.
The Department of Health says Florida has seen a 17 % drop in deaths due to Oxycodone - and a 58% reduction in "doctor shopping" cases - since the database began operations two years ago.