Missouri Senate passes opioid database bill
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is one step closer to joining 49 other states in creating a database so doctors can catch possible opioid misuse.
The Republican-led Senate voted 20-12 in favor of the bill.
The vote is significant because the proposal has for years failed to pass that chamber.
The purpose of prescription drug databases is for doctors to check to see if their patients have been getting addictive opioid drugs prescriptions from other physicians.
Some Missouri Republicans have raised concerns that those databases could be hacked.
Critics on Tuesday argued the program could violate patients' privacy.
