ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ —
National Community Pharmacists
Association Executive Vice President and CEO Kathleen
Jaeger issued the following statement today in response to the
Florida House Judicial Committee’s passage of HB 7095, legislation
sponsored by State Rep. Rob Schenck, and in particular an
amendment that would restrict the dispensing of controlled
substances on Schedule II
and Schedule III to publicly traded pharmacy chains or only
those independent community pharmacies that have been in business
more than 10 years:

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“We all support efforts to keep illegal substances out of the
hands of those who are addicted to drugs. However, as good as
Representative Schenck’s intentions may be, this legislation would
result in keeping medicines from actual patients who need them.
 In essence, it would make real patients and independent
community pharmacies collateral damage between the War on Drugs and
the War on Pain.

“This bill is misguided, and does a great disservice to patients
under the guise of drug diversion. There is no credible evidence to
suggest that drug diversion occurs at a higher level in independent
community pharmacies than that of chains. Creating an uneven
competitive playing field does nothing to advance the resolution of
the underlying drug diversion issue, and forces many patients to
leave their trusted independent community pharmacist to obtain
their prescriptions at chain pharmacies. This is particularly a
problem in underserved rural and urban communities, where
independent pharmacists may be the only health care provider
available. Under this bill, these patients with l

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