Florida's prescription drug database has made a good beginning at unmasking doctor-shoppers who rip off the system and reveal the identities of health-care providers who are pushing narcotics. But its existence is tenuous, and the recent unwarranted release of patient information to attorneys in a drug case has jeopardized its future, the Sun-Sentinel editorial boardsays.
The agency charged with responsibility for the database's security is the Florida Department of Health. The agency owes the public a full explanation.