Office of Administration Commissioner Michael Keathley died on March 5 at his Dexter home following a five-year fight with cancer. Keathley, who would

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services would keep a record of Missourians’ prescription drug use under a bill the House sent to the Senate on March 6 by a vote of 84-69. HB 1619 sponsored by state Rep. Kenny Jones, R-Clarksburg, would also require pharmacists to maintain an electronic log of medicines containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Under the prescription tracking portion of the bill, the health department would have a record of a patient’s names, address and date of birth, along with the types and amounts of drugs they have taken. Supporters say the tracking system would allow the state to identify prescription drug abuse and doctor shopping to obtain excessive amounts of prescription drugs. Opponents say it would result in an unwarranted government intrusion into private medical information and increase the likelihood of such information failing into the wrong hands.