Lawmakers are in Tallahassee today to start the 2013 Legislative session, which will take up a slew of health issues, the Miami Herald reports.
In addition to Medicaid expansion, lawmakers will also consider:
- Regulations on generics as a substitute for biological brand name drugs
- Prescribing power for optometrists (an ongoing issue in the Legislature for more than 30 years)
- Greater ability for nurse practitioners to treat patients
Two lawmakers are reviving a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions, the News Herald reports. An identical bill never got a hearing during last year’s session.
Meanwhile, an Orlando TV station backed out of its agreement to air the “Should Grandma Smoke Pot?” infomercial after last week’s drama surrounding a disabled couple who were busted for pot after lobbying in Tallahassee in support of medical marijuana, the Broward Palm Beach News Times reports. The next day, a lawmaker filed Florida’s first comprehensive bill dealing with medical marijuana.