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New York Set to Require Electronic Prescribing
New York State will become the first in the country to require physicians and other prescribers to use electronic prescriptions and to penalize them with fines or imprisonment if they refuse to comply. The mandate is set to go into effect March 27, 2016.
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The rule is part of a 2012 state law known as ‘I Stop,’ which aims to cut down on prescription opioid abuse. The law already requires prescribers to check an online registry listing all controlled substances prescribed to a patient to check for a history of abuse before issuing a prescription themselves.
New York officials hope its efforts to better coordinate care will improve a growing opioid abuse problem. Between 2013 and 2014 pharmacists filled more prescriptions for controlled substances than there were state residents. The number of opioid-related deaths in 2013 was 1227, compared with just 341 in 2004.
By requiring all prescriptions to be electronic, the latest mandate further seeks to curtail opioid abuse by preventing fraudulent and altered prescriptions. It also aims to cut down on medical mistakes caused by illegible handwriting.
Unlike Minnesota, which requires electronic prescribing but does not penalize prescribers who insist on using paper instead, New York’s health department is set to hold prescribers accountable using a set of disciplinary actions, with both civil and criminal penalties and fines.—Jolynn Tumolo
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