Whoever said the government could not work at blistering speed has not been paying attention this week.

Bureaucrats across the country moved swiftly enough when they were met with Monday morning’s headline revealing the dirty little secret that nearly 200 convicted sex offenders in New York were receiving Medicaid-reimbursed Viagra.

Quick investigations revealed 200 offenders in Texas received reimbursed Viagra and 400 in Florida. It took much of the week, but finally on Thursday afternoon, the Maine Department of Health and Human Resources revealed that of the 268 residents being reimbursed for Viagra through MaineCare, five are listed on the state’s sex-offender registry.

The truly amazing part of this story is that with nary a study commission, a review panel or a task force, the practice of providing convicted rapists and child molesters with sex-enhancing drugs simply ended in many states this week.

That’s it. Loophole closed with a simple statement from the federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services saying that states could refuse to reimburse sex offenders for Viagra prescriptions.

It was a truly wondrous thing to behold.

Of course, this was a pretty safe fight for politicians everywhere. There aren’t that many people who step up to defend sex offenders, anyway, and probably no one willing to argue why taxpayers should be purchasing Viagra for them.

Pretty good chance that decision wasn’t going to bring forth much controversy, thereby providing a prime opportunity for politicians to shout about their outrage and call for an immediate halt to the practice.

Now officials are beginning to question whether the government should be in the business of buying Viagra for anyone. Ain’t it always the way? The naughty kid in the back of the room always ruins it for everyone else.

Mike Norton, a Maine DHHS spokesman, said this week that limiting Viagra reimbursements, except for cases of “medical necessity,” already was part of the new MaineCare budget plan.

The state has spent $22,722 so far this year on Viagra prescriptions. Last year, it spent $92,632 funding Viagra for 540 MaineCare clients.

It’s been interesting to watch the reactions from politicians across the country responding to this story. One assemblyman in New York thought it the right time to put forth a measure that would prevent convicted sex offenders from undergoing penile implant surgery, even if they paid for it themselves.

It certainly will serve to fuel the debate in states that are considering drug-induced castration of the most serious sexual predators. Nine states allow chemical castration – the use of female hormone drugs – for some sex offenders.

The drug they use is a relatively new birth-control drug called Depo-Provera, which requires just a monthly injection.

Hmmm … Well that’s a battle for a different day. For now, let’s just be glad that we are no longer buying sex offenders’ erectile enhancement prescription.