Texas Pain Clinic Law Cracks Down on Pill Mills

That criteria include never having been disciplined by a licensing entity for inappropriately prescribing, dispensing, administering, supplying, or selling a controlled substance. Also, physician owners of such clinics must be on-site at least 33% of the clinic's operating hours and review at least 33% of the patient files, including those of a clinic employee or contractor who has the authority to care for patients.

Some of the clinics in question have been or are operated by physicians who have restricted licenses.

The Texas physician association magazine article says that Texas, and the nation, are in the midst of a prescription drug abuse "crisis," especially with hydrocodone products and pseudoephedrine.  Forged prescriptions, pharmacy theft, Internet sales and doctor shopping are all illegal activities linked to these pill clinics that the new certification process seeks to stop.