Final answer:
In Florida, prescriptions for controlled substances must include detailed patient and practitioner information. The state's extensive elderly population and geographical factors contributed to it becoming a hotspot for opioid abuse and illegal distribution of prescription painkillers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Florida Prescription Law Requirements
Under Florida law, all written prescriptions for controlled substances, such as Oxycodone, Vicodin, morphine, fentanyl, methadone, and other prescription pain relievers, need to include specific information to be legally filled. While the exact required elements can be detailed and subject to change, generally the prescriptions must include the patient's full name and address, the practitioner's full name, address, and DEA number, the drug name, strength, dosage form, quantity prescribed, directions for use, and the date of issuance. These measures are part of the efforts to combat the prescription drug abuse problem that escalated due to the high number of elderly patients, misleading numbers of legitimate prescriptions, and the proliferation of pill mills in Florida. As a result of these issues, Florida had developed a significant prescription drug problem, particularly with painkillers, due to its large elderly population and geographical susceptibility to such criminal activities. By 2009, the prescribing rates of opioids like Oxycodone in Florida were extraordinarily high compared to the rest of the country, fueling the black market and earning I-75 the nickname 'The OxyContin Express'.