Ameritox Supports Governor Rick Scott's Call to Work With Clinical Labs in Seeking Alternative Approaches

BALTIMORE, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameritox, the national leader in pain-medication monitoring, calls attention to the Millennium Laboratories statements issued in their April 30, 2012 press release  (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/millennium-laboratories-commends-floridas-governor-scott-for-strengthening-regulation-of-clinical-laboratories-149472985.html).  The Millennium Laboratories press release suggests Florida Governor Rick Scott's signing of House Bill 787 supports their position on clinical laboratory operation while disregarding the Governor's public position.  Comparison of the Millennium Laboratories April 30, 2012 press release alongside Governor Scott's April 27, 2012 letter to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner provides a clear example of this discrepancy.

"Millennium's tactics in the marketplace are not acceptable," said Ancelmo Lopes, chief executive officer, Ameritox.  "It is not our interest to mention other companies in public communications; however, we will not let these statements go unanswered when it comes to something as important as patient well-being." 

Governor Scott's Official Signing Letter Cites Section 35 Concerns

Though Millennium Laboratories suggests that Governor Scott supports their company's position specifically, House Bill 787 covers a wide array of health care facilities needs – not just how and where drug testing is conducted.  Examination of facts demonstrates Millennium Laboratories does not fully convey the Governor's on-record concerns.  In an April 27, 2012 letter to Secretary Detzner, Governor Scott states:

"While I find most of the bill's provisions very positive, I do have concerns about the language in Section 35 of the bill amending Section 483.245, Florida Statutes. It is critically important for the state to maintain a strict prohibition against unlawful commissions, bonuses, kickbacks, rebates or split fee arrangements. However, the current interpretation of the anti-kickback law as it relates to the use of trained specimen collectors and the lease of space in the physician offices merits further scrutiny.  To that end, I will direct the Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration to work with representatives of the clinical lab industry to examine this issue and develop alternative approaches to regulating this particular area of health care law."   

Ameritox is encouraged by the Governor's letter to Secretary Detzner and, as the national leader in medication monitoring, looks forward to the opportunity to work collaboratively with AHCA and other leading clinical laboratories on this issue crucial to patients suffering from chronic pain.

Full text of Governor Scott's letter is available via this Florida state government link:  http://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/4.27.12-HB-787-Transmittal-Letter.pdf

Ameritox Plans Are OIG Reviewed

In the same April 30 Millennium Laboratories press release, Millennium Laboratories uses a veiled attempt to attack Ameritox, writing: "a Maryland-based clinical laboratory that agreed in November 2010 to a $16.3 million settlement."  This statement disregards the historic timeline of events.

In reality, the current Ameritox management team was brought aboard post-2005 events to reach this 2010 Corporate Integrity Agreement between the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the US Department of Health and Human Services and Ameritox.  Today, under this Corporate Integrity Agreement, Ameritox customer relationship programs are examined by an internal compliance committee, independent external reviewer and the Federal government. Specifically, the Ameritox Specimen Processor customer program is the only one of its kind in the industry that has been reviewed by the OIG and that operates in consultation with the OIG.

Ameritox, as the national leader in pain medication monitoring, believes it is important to provide transparent exchange in both business practice and clinical science. Ameritox adheres to the highest standards in Federal and state policy.

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation's leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox's expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian(SM) – with Rx Guardian CD(SM), the only pain medication monitoring process with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients clinically assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through urine drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas and Greensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox on YouTube at youtube.com/ameritox or on LinkedIn through Ameritox's company page.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

CONTACT: Lon Wagner, +1-336-387-7742, [email protected]

SOURCE Ameritox