Local health officials in southern Ohio are adopting a high-tech fingerprint scanning system in a bid to curb prescription drug abuse. Under the one-year pilot program, patients must submit to a fingerprint scan to see a doctor at Holzer Heath System, which operates two hospitals in the region, the Wall Street Journal reports. They must also use fingerprint IDs to get their prescriptions filled at certain pharmacies, according to the article.
Health officials hope the program will help law enforcement target diversion of drugs into the illegal market and identify questionable doctors or suspect pharmacists, the article says.
An average of 67 opioid painkillers are prescribed to every Ohio resident each year, according to state data.
“Health officials hope the program will help law enforcement target diversion of drugs into the illegal market and identify questionable doctors or suspect pharmacists, the article says.”
Maybe they should just fingerprint the drs. and pharmacists.I can’t see this helping anyone. I refuse to be fingerprinted just to see the doctor. This will drive people to the streets to get meds, even non narcotic ones.