New York state officials and lawmakers have reached an agreement to strengthen the state's online prescription drug tracking system, the AP/New York Times reports.
The proposed legislation would make New York the first state to require online reporting of prescriptions in real time, as physicians write them and pharmacists dispense them (AP/New York Times, 6/5). Lawmakers have yet to release the final bill (Vielkind, "Capitol Confidential," Albany Times Union, 6/5).
About Rx Monitoring Databases
Prescription drug monitoring databases aim to reduce "doctor shopping" among people who misuse prescription drugs. Doctor shopping refers to when individuals visit multiple doctors to obtain prescriptions for addictive controlled substances.
Forty-three states have established prescription drug tracking systems and five states have passed laws to create such databases but have yet to implement them (iHealthBeat, 6/1).
New York has a prescription drug tracking system, but pharmacists have 45 days to report prescriptions and reporting by physicians is optional (AP/Wall Street Journal, 6/5).
Details of the Agreement
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) negotiated with state legislative leaders reach a deal on efforts to tighten the state's prescription drug tracking system (Klopott, Bloomberg Businessweek, 6/5).
The proposed legislation would require physicians to check the state Department of Health's Prescription Monitoring Program Registry before prescribing or dispensing drugs that are commonly misused. Pharmacists would be able to check the database before dispensing drugs, and they would be required to report certain medications that they dispense.
New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) said that officials hope to finish drafting regulations by the end of this year and start running the enhanced prescription drug tracking system next year (AP/Wall Street Journal, 6/5).