Steve Miller

Big-box pharmacies would be allowed to use as many technicians as they need under a bill approved by the Florida House. The bill (HB 323) passed 85-33 Friday. Current law requires approval from the state’s board of pharmacy for anything over a ratio of three technicians to one pharmacist. Proponents, including Walgreens and the Florida Retail Federation, say the law would allow the large pharmacies to bring down drug prices. Opponents contend the higher technician ratio would create a scenario…

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Following a Florida Supreme Court decision that struck down caps on certain awards in medical malpractice lawsuits, the members of a 2002 task force that recommended those limits are calling for a constitutional amendment that would place the caps on solid footing. The task force appointed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush recommended a cap for individuals on non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, and the legislature passed it in 2003. Last month, Florida’s high court ruled that the caps violate…

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The Florida Legislature is pushing through a bill that targets websites that charge individuals a fee to remove their mug shot.The bill targets companies that obtain booking photos from law enforcement agencies and put them online along with the person’s name.  The companies then charge arrestees up to hundreds of dollars to remove them or face continued embarrassment. Under the proposed law, an individual could obtain a court order for removal, and the website would be subject to a $1,000-a-day…

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Florida is a politically divided state. The Republicans have won the last four gubernatorial elections, but the Democrats have carried the state in the last two presidential elections. One U.S. senator is a Republican, while the other is a Democrat. The Democrats hold a slight edge in voter registration. But that narrow divide becomes a chasm in Florida’s congressional delegation and in the Legislature. Sixteen of Florida’s 26 U.S. representatives are Republicans, with one vacancy that will almost assuredly be…

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A union-backed advocacy group alleges in a complaint to the state’s Department of Health that Walgreens pharmacies in Florida are violating state law by allowing its pharmacists to sit at a table away from the actual pharmacy, allowing technicians to work without supervision. The complaint comes as the legislature moves to allow the state’s governing Board of Pharmacy to increase the pharmacist-to-technician ratio. The retail watchdog arm of Change to Win, a consumer advocacy group, alleges that the Walgreens model…

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The Legislature is considering a bill that would change the composition of the state’s Board of Pharmacy to increase representation for smaller and larger pharmacies. The measure would raise from one to three the number of seats reserved for pharmacists representing both small operations and large chain stores. The number of at-large spots, reserved for people with pharmacy licenses, would be reduced from five to one. Two people would continue serving as consumer representatives. The legislative proposal by Sen. Denise…

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