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Licensing Fees May be Doubled to Finance War on Prescription Drug Abuse

By Lindsay F. Wiley [Bio]

February 15, 2003 - Bush Administration officials have announced plans to double licensing fees for doctors, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical companies to pay for the government's new campaign against prescription drug abuse.

Last month, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA began a campaign to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse. Wesley Clark, director of the center, has said that the campaign is different from other drug abuse campaigns because of concern that legitimate pharmaceutical use might be unfairly stigmatized. According to surveys by the Center for Substance Abuse, prescription drug abuse has recently increased by at least 27% per year. During the same time frame, doctors have increased their prescription of pain medication for legitimate use in response to concern that pain is undertreated.

The new fees will fund expanded efforts by the federal government to curtail prescription drug abuse without unduly burdening legitimate use. The DEA's plans include hiring additional personnel and improving its electronic pharmaceutical tracking system.