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Friday, April 5, 2013

Background Checks at the Doctor's Office?

Could be if you're seeking pain medication.  The program is part of an effort to cut down on prescription drug abuse. More specifically, the practice of patients visiting multiple doctors in search of pain medication prescriptions. 

Pharmacists maintain the database so that a patient is not prescribed drugs they've already received from a different doctor.  Doctors are responsible for running the checks, however, and if they don't, the patient may still obtain the drug.

It seems a delicate balance between allowing patients access to the medicines they need and preventing a few from abusing the system.

Interestingly, a background check system exists to prevent pain medicine abuse but there's not (yet) a universal background check system for the purchase of firearms.

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