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Governor Rick Scott now has some key legislative support to repeal a prescription drug database scheduled to go online this spring. The database was created to track people who abuse prescription painkillers. As Whitney Ray tells us, the House has repeal legislation, but it may not fly in the Senate.

Another reason sited for repealing the database is some people feeling it’s an invasion of privacy for the state to keep a record of their medication.

Florida loses seven people a day to prescription pain medication. In just two counties, Palm Beach and Broward, nine million pills were prescribed in one six month period last year.

A prescription drug database, created to stop people from going from doctor to doctor to load up on painkillers may never be up and running. Monday, House Speaker Dean Cannon announced legislation to nix the drug monitoring system.

“I think a focus on that alone is short-sighted. The PDMP tracks the problem not the solution,” said Cannon.

The house wants to instead focus on keeping doctors from selling painkillers from their office. The database repeal legislation would be accompanied by a bill that would ban the practice.

“There is a real problem we have in the state of Florida and that is we have drug dealers masquerading as doctors,” said Rep. Robert Schenck.

Eliminating the database is a top priority in the House, but it will be a tougher sell in the Senate.

The database started as legislation in the Senate last year. Monday, Senate President Mike Haridopolos told reporters his chamber won’t act on the repeal.

“I personally think the database is a good idea and given the overwhelming support the Senate had last year for it I don’t think we are going to be moving in the opposite direction here in the Senate,” said Haridopolos.

While the two chambers begin work to stop Florida pain clinics, surrounding states will be watching. They say Florida pain clinics are killing their residents.