National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005

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The National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005 (NASPER)—also known as the "Prescription Electronic Reporting Act"(H.R. 1132), became Public Law 109-60 when it was signed on August 11, 2005, by President George W. Bush, "which requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to establish or improve programs to electronically monitor dispensing of controlled substances."[1] Edward Whitfield (R, KY) sponsored this bill and introduced it on March 3, 2005.

The bill, which "gives states grant money to create scheduled drug tracking databases," "requires those dispensing controlled substances (such as pharmacists and physicians) to submit information"—patients' names, addresses and telephone numbers—to state governments within one week of filling prescriptions for "commonly prescribed medications for pain, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder and sleep disorders." "Data also will be collected on animal owners whose pets are prescribed controlled substances by veterinarians."[2][3]

Controversy

Although "Congress's stated purpose of the law is to help physicians identify and treat prescription drug addiction and abuse ... the legislation goes much further than its announced intent by also allowing local, state and federal law-enforcement agents to use the nationwide electronic prescription drug data."[4]

"Additionally, the new law will greatly undermine Americans' health privacy because citizens don't have a right to opt out of the state electronic databases. Nor do they have a right to know whether their personal health data are being accessed by many others, including law-enforcement officials."[5]

Vote

The bill was agreed to by voice vote in the U.S. Senate on July 27, 2005, and by unanimous consent in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 29, 2005.[6]

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

Sources

  1. "President Signs Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005," The White House. August 12, 2005.
  2. "Prescription for Privacy Invasions," Institute for Health Freedom. September 2005.
  3. Michael Ostrolenk. "National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005," Liberty Watch.
  4. "Prescription for Privacy Invasions," Institute for Health Freedom. September 2005.
  5. "Prescription for Privacy Invasions," Institute for Health Freedom. September 2005.
  6. "The Orator page on H.R. 1132," The Orator.

External articles

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