Van Hollen Supports Legislation Aimed at Reducing Illegal Prescription Drug Activities

MADISON - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen submitted written testimony today to the Senate Committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue in support of a bill (AB-227) that would direct Wisconsin's Pharmacy Examining Board to create a program to monitor the dispensing of prescription drugs.  Once in place, the prescription monitoring program would be used to deter and identify many types of illegal activity including prescription forgery, indiscriminate prescribing, and "doctor shopping."

"The unauthorized use of prescription drugs is not only illegal, it can be destructive," explained Van Hollen.  "At the Department of Justice, we are working on a growing number of cases involving non-medical use of prescription drugs, and finding that illegal prescription drug use often contributes to addiction, escalating use of other drugs, overdose, and other criminal activities."

The bill passed the State Assembly on September 22, 2009, and must be passed by the State Senate and signed by the Governor to become law.

A copy of Attorney General Van Hollen's written testimony is available: