Beshear Asks Florida Governor To Keep Prescription Tracking Program

Governor Steve Beshear is the latest Kentucky official to ask Florida Governor Rick Scott to rethink his plans to cut a prescription drug tracking system.It's estimated that many of the prescription pills that are abused in eastern Kentucky come from Florida. In 2009, that state's legislature approved a system to track prescriptions and reduce the number of so-called pill mills.As part of his plan to cut spending, Governor Scott has proposed cutting the program. That first prompted a response from Congressman Hal Rogers of Kentucky, who asked his fellow Republican Scott to reconsider, saying that Kentuckians and Floridians alike are dying of prescription drug overdoses.In a letter released Tuesday, Beshear echoed those sentiments. Kentucky has a prescription tracking system, and Beshear credits it for pushing pill mills out of the commonwealth.A Greenup County sheriff has also reportedly taken issue with Scott's plans to cancel the tracking program.