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State lawmakers are back in Tallahassee working to fill gaps found by criminals trying to skirt the new pill mill law. The law keeps doctors from filling prescriptions in their offices and tracks the sale of powerful painkillers. As Whitney Ray tells us, now lawmakers want quicker emergency suspensions for doctors suspected of over prescribing.

A new law that keeps pain clinics from selling drugs and tracks how many pills are being sold has cut the amount of drugs being prescribed, but authorities say they need more tools.

Applications for new pharmacies are up 30 percent over last year, and may be one way bad doctors are trying to skirt the new law.

“We are seeing that many of them are filling out an application to become a pharmacy so we have to try to close that loophole,” said State Senate Mike Fasano.

There’s another problem. Even when the Department of Health knows a doctor is over prescribing, it takes a long time to suspend their license.

In some cases the Department of Health knows a clinic is breaking the law, but acting would blow the cover on a criminal investigation.

State Senator Ronda Storms will sponsor legislation speeding up the suspension process.

“As brazen as they are being we need to answer that audacity with strength and imposition of the full measure of the law,” said Storms.

And as the war rages on, the causalities continue to mount. Seven people a day in Florida overdose on prescription drugs and die and now dozens of babies are being born addicted to painkillers.

Florida’s Surgeon General thinks the surge in pharmacy applications can be handled administratively, but it may take legislation to help pill addicted babies and to stop doctors over prescribing sooner.