AUGUSTA — A bill that would require people filling prescriptions for painkillers and some other drugs to show photo identification at the pharmacy is making its way through the State House.
Representatives of Maine doctors and pharmacies testified in favor of the bill at a public hearing Tuesday.
Civil libertarians and others raised concerns about patient privacy and safety.
The Bangor Daily News reports that the bill would require pharmacists to check photo IDs before filling customers’ prescriptions for controlled substances including OxyContin, Ritalin, Vicodin and drugs used to treat insomnia, anxiety and muscle spasms.
Maine Attorney General William Schneider has said there is an epidemic of prescription drug abuse in Maine that has claimed the lives of hundreds.
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