Florida Pain Clinic Organizations Applaud FL Senate President Haridopolos and Attorney General Bondi

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Society of Pain Management Providers (www.flspmp.org), The Florida Academy of Pain Medicine (www.fapmmed.net) and The American Academy of Pain Management (www.aapainmanage.org) applaud Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their support of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) and their opposition to the recently announced attempt to repeal the program.

These three organizations which represent the overall majority of the medical professionals who practice pain medicine in Florida have always supported the PDMP as the most effective weapon in stemming the prescription drug abuse epidemic facing Florida. Additionally it was these organizations that have proposed alternative PDMP funding solutions which would secure the program's annual budget.

In a Palm Beach ABC 25 interview last Friday with the Attorney General's Special Counsel on Pain Clinics Senator Dave Aronberg, it was stated that he and the Attorney General would "fight to keep the database."

And today in a Miami Herald Blog Senate President Mike Haridopolos stated, "I think the database is a good idea because people are dying -- literally in the streets, in the back of cars, from these drug havens,'' adding that he is "the last guy who wants intrusive government but this is a real problem....If the governor doesn't fund it, I have a feeling we're going to fund it."

The citizens of Florida and its neighboring states should recognize Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Attorney General Pam Bondi for providing the true leadership needed in this most important issue and join us in commending them.

We urge all to contact your legislator and voice your support for the PDMP:

www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find and www.myfloridahouse.gov/ (click on find your representative)

SOURCE Florida Society of Pain Management Providers