California Attorney General Seeks Drug Database Funds

Legislation that would provide funding for California’s substance-abuse tracking system has passed its first committee.

The database lets doctors and pharmacists quickly review patients’ substance history.

The measure promoted by Attorney General Kamala Harris would impose fees on medical care providers, drug manufacturers and health insurance plans to upgrade and maintain the database.

The lack of funding for the system has been a concern because of the number of patient deaths linked to doctors overprescribing certain medications.

The fees would pay to keep the system going and add teams of agents to track doctors who improperly prescribe large quantities of controlled substances.

SB809, by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat from Concord, cleared the Senate Business and Professions Committee 7-2 on Monday. It now goes to the Governance and Finance Committee.