Purdue Pharma has offered a $1 million grant to the state of Florida to help finance a stalled prescription-drug monitoring program there.
The Stamford-based maker of the painkiller OxyContin said the program will help thwart the illegal diversion and abuse of prescription medications.
Purdue Pharma said it would provide $500,000 a year for two years to the non-profit Florida PDMP Foundation, established to raise funds for the state”™s monitoring program, provided it becomes operational.
“The grant will be awarded only if the state acts to enforce the program,” said Alan Must, vice president of state government affairs at Purdue.
Florida passed legislation in 2009 to create the monitoring program but due to a lack of funding it has not been put into practice.
Must said Purdue Pharma has felt the impact of prescription drug abuse, as the company was blamed for several fatal overdoses and subjected to numerous lawsuits.
Some Florida legislators continue to oppose the program, citing security concerns and the cost of operations.
The opioid analgesic drug substance oxycodone is the active ingredient in OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet, Tylox and Roxicondone. So far, 34 states have implemented prescription-medication monitoring programs. Those seeking the drugs in an illegal capacity are reportedly traveling to Florida to obtain them for abuse or resale, according to Must.
“A lot of what”™s happening in Florida is the advent of these ”˜pill mills”™ pushing those prescription drugs into other states,” said Must. “Florida seems to be the epicenter of where illegal prescriptions are being generated.”
Purdue has also given a $1 million grant to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to support efforts to identify “doctor shopping,” where a person seeks care from multiple physicians, across state lines and enable health care professionals to track prescriptions for monitored drugs.
According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy the monitoring programs are unable to share data among states.
Purdue Pharma criminally marketed OxyContin as less likely to be addictive or abused. They were found guilty of these charges in Federal Court after pleading guilty. Now they offer rewards for monitoring the epidemic they created by their criminal activity? Give me a break!