Police to track prescription drugs

Jim675 · Nov 14, 2011

Next time you're purchasing a new gun and have to answer the drug use question, consider this:

Washington Department of Health Announces plan to Let Cops and Others Track the Drugs You Take

Snip: The Washington State Department of Health announced yesterday that it will soon begin a Prescription Drug Monitoring program that lets "health care providers, patients, law enforcement, and others" monitor records of drugs that have been prescribed to people. /SNIP

But you're not addicted you say? Once they have access, how long before someone starts doing searches by dose/month and finds that (despite what your doctor believes) you have crossed an arbitrary line and are no longer qualified to purchase?

thebigsd · Nov 14, 2011

There must be some kind of HIPAA violation here, right? Why is it any of their business? If the pharmacy thinks your prescriptions are bad they will call your doctor for confirmation. If the prescriptions are fake, they can call the cops. This is just another unnecessary government intrusion.

BigDave · Nov 14, 2011

I took a look at the link you posted for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and what you are suggesting is misleading at best to suggest they will be using this when buying a gun.

Who can access information in the system?

The following groups can access the information under PMP law and rule:

Persons authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances to provide medical or pharmaceutical care for their patients;

An individual who requests their own prescription monitoring information;

Health professional licensing, certification, or regulatory agency or entity;

Local, state, and federal law enforcement or prosecutorial officials engaged in an investigation involving a designated person;

Medical examiners and coroners for cause of death determination;

Authorized practitioners of the Department of Social and Health Services or the Health Care Authority regarding medicaid program recipients;

The director or director's designee within the Department of Labor and Industries for workers' compensation claimants;

The director or the director's designee within the Department of Corrections for offenders committed to the Department of Corrections;

Other entities under grand jury subpoena or court order; and

Personnel of the department for purposes of administration and enforcement of this rule or Chapter 69.50 RCW.

Jim675 · Nov 14, 2011

BigDave said:
I took a look at the link you posted for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and what you are suggesting is misleading at best to suggest they will be using this when buying a gun.

I disagree. For a few reasons: There is no demand for a warrant in the law. There are only civil penalties for improper release of the information.

My last sentence was: "Once they have access, how long before someone starts doing searches by dose/month and finds that (despite what your doctor believes) you have crossed an arbitrary line and are no longer qualified to purchase?"

I did not say they're reviewing the data now. I asked how long before they actively do? Remember when seat belt or cell phone usage were not primary offenses?

Do you really think that you can give police access to a database and not have some young patrolman with moderate computer skills and some ambition find a way to make a name for themselves?

If it does not happen within one year I will buy you a coffee*.

*Coffee: tall, no additional toppings, non-fat, not hot enough to scald, normal business hours, within 30 miles of Bellevue, WA.

BigDave · Nov 14, 2011

Jim675 said:
If it does not happen within one year I will buy you a coffee*.

*Coffee: tall, no additional toppings, non-fat, not hot enough to scald, normal business hours, within 30 miles of Bellevue, WA.

I will take you up on that coffee, and look at all those disclaimers! LOL, I think Starbucks offer prepaid LOL :lol: it is on my Google calendar to remind me :dude:

Jim675 · Nov 14, 2011

Did you see that most states already do this? Absolutely no personal data is too personal to be used against you for your own good.

Can't wait until I can conveniently order food (up to my daily caloric/fat/salt allowances) by swiping my ID card with my debit card.

Its now one step closer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4LtYMNl4yw

Metalhead47 · Nov 15, 2011

...'nuther good reason to switch one's prescriptions to OTC supplements (if possible, of course). At least they can't track those.

Yes.

Jayd1981 · Nov 15, 2011

Metalhead47 said:
...'nuther good reason to switch one's prescriptions to OTC supplements (if possible, of course). At least they can't track those.

Yes.

That is unless it contains pseudoephedrine. Those are OTC and are also tracked. A grandmother ended up arrested when her and a couple family members got sick and she was caught going over the legal limit for pseudoephedrine purchases when she bought a multiple cold and flu packages a few days apart.

http://tribstar.com/local/x46868452...ond-cold-medicine-purchase-violated-drug-laws

fire suppressor · Nov 15, 2011

Something to keep a eye one it will be interesting to see how HIPPA and other privacy laws effect this. To me this would have the police playing the role of a therapist how would they be able to justify when your taking too much medicine, or how would they have enough medical knowledge to know how meds could effect you? I've taken a little pharmacology and it is amazing how much science and variables comes into play. Maybe we can all start calling the police station to discuss our feelings when our gold fish die

.45ACPaddy · Nov 15, 2011

Jayd1981 said:
That is unless it contains pseudoephedrine. Those are OTC and are also tracked. A grandmother ended up arrested when her and a couple family members got sick and she was caught going over the legal limit for pseudoephedrine purchases when she bought a multiple cold and flu packages a few days apart.

http://tribstar.com/local/x46868452...ond-cold-medicine-purchase-violated-drug-laws

More proof of how this nation is becoming a god damned nanny state.

Yes. I did mean "god damned" for those of you who didn't believe at first.

Metalhead47 · Nov 15, 2011

.45ACPaddy said:
More proof of how this nation is becoming a god damned nanny state.

Yes. I did mean "god damned" for those of you who didn't believe at first.

Forsaken, yes. Damned, no. At least, not yet.

.45ACPaddy · Nov 15, 2011

Metalhead47 said:
Forsaken, yes. Damned, no. At least, not yet.

Only a matter of time...

amlevin · Nov 15, 2011

Just like anything else, there are those that get paranoid at the drop of a hat.

Read the provision for Law Enforcement:

--Local, state, and federal law enforcement or prosecutorial officials engaged in an investigation involving a designated person;
Unless you are under investigation I seriously doubt that the "government" cares what you take as long as you have a prescription and YOU are the one taking it (as opposed to selling it like some do).

Just about anything we do that involves Government can be stretched if you really want to. Own a house and pay for sewer service? What's to stop the "Government" from collecting your feces as you flush and analyzing them for possible illegal drug use? Consumption of unhealthy saturated fat in excess of daily guidelines? They can already examine the contents of your garbage once you put it out for collection.

gogodawgs · Nov 15, 2011

Why add one more law?
What is the OVERWHELMING public need?

tombrewster421 · Nov 15, 2011

gogodawgs said:
Why add one more law?
What is the OVERWHELMING public need?

+1

Metalhead47 · Nov 15, 2011

gogodawgs said:
Why add one more law?
What is the OVERWHELMING public need?

The peasants must be controlled. For their own good.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jim675 · Nov 15, 2011

amlevin said:
SNIP... Unless you are under investigation I seriously doubt that the "government" cares what you take SNIP

Good point. It not like every single asset every given to law enforcement has been repeatedly abused. Luckily police are above the normal human motivations of the rest of us.

amlevin said:
SNIP... What's to stop the "Government" from collecting your feces as you flush and analyzing them for possible illegal drug use? Consumption of unhealthy saturated fat in excess of daily guidelines? They can already examine the contents of your garbage once you put it out for collection. SNIP

That would require effort far beyond what I said above. Simply searching a database out of curiosity at first. And then realizing that some numbers seem really large. Asking your pharmacist neighbor what's "normal". Producing a report for the narc team. No-knock warrants follow. And now your dog's dead....

BigDave · Nov 1, 2012

BigDave said:
I took a look at the link you posted for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and what you are suggesting is misleading at best to suggest they will be using this when buying a gun.

Jim675 said:
I disagree. For a few reasons: There is no demand for a warrant in the law. There are only civil penalties for improper release of the information.

My last sentence was: "Once they have access, how long before someone starts doing searches by dose/month and finds that (despite what your doctor believes) you have crossed an arbitrary line and are no longer qualified to purchase?"

I did not say they're reviewing the data now. I asked how long before they actively do? Remember when seat belt or cell phone usage were not primary offenses?

Do you really think that you can give police access to a database and not have some young patrolman with moderate computer skills and some ambition find a way to make a name for themselves?

If it does not happen within one year I will buy you a coffee*.

*Coffee: tall, no additional toppings, non-fat, not hot enough to scald, normal business hours, within 30 miles of Bellevue, WA.

That year is up on 11/14 and nothing has happened Jim, I will be in the area 11/7 to 11/9 :lol:

EMNofSeattle · Nov 1, 2012

amlevin said:
Just like anything else, there are those that get paranoid at the drop of a hat.

Read the provision for Law Enforcement:

--Local, state, and federal law enforcement or prosecutorial officials engaged in an investigation involving a designated person;
Unless you are under investigation I seriously doubt that the "government" cares what you take as long as you have a prescription and YOU are the one taking it (as opposed to selling it like some do).

Just about anything we do that involves Government can be stretched if you really want to. Own a house and pay for sewer service? What's to stop the "Government" from collecting your feces as you flush and analyzing them for possible illegal drug use? Consumption of unhealthy saturated fat in excess of daily guidelines? They can already examine the contents of your garbage once you put it out for collection.

Click to expand...

not without a warrant in the State of Washington
State v. Boland

Citizen · Nov 1, 2012

Y'all might want to research the abuses that have already occurred in other states with this type of law. Jim is not far off the mark.

I've read where doctors and pharmacies are targeted for crossing the arbitrary line. At least one physician who cared for terminally ill people was heavily targeted because he "wrote too many prescriptions" for strong pain-killers. It was a nightmare for him and his patients. Actually, I think the physician might have been a women.

If it is coming to your state, you might want to knock some holes in the law or have it re-written to provide lots of protections against abuses. This thing has been a nightmare in other states.

Check Radley Balko and google for starters.

Police to track prescription drugs

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