New York Bill to Enhance PMP Functionality and Reporting Requirements Gaining Support

January 18, 2012 6:42 PM

A bill that would require the establishment of an online, real-time prescription monitoring program (PMP) in New York is being considered by the state’s legislature. The “Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act,” or “I-STOP” would require that the PMP system track both prescriptions written and prescriptions dispensed and would require health care providers to review a patient’s history on the system prior to issuing a prescription, as explained in a press release from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. To illustrate the need for the legislation, Schneiderman issued a report presenting state data on prescription drug abuse. According to the report, the rate of prescription pain medication misuse in New York city increased 40% from 2002 to 2009, and the report also documents increased admissions for opiate-addiction treatment at clinics throughout the state. Schneiderman explained that “I-STOP uses real-time, online technology to streamline communication between health care providers and pharmacists to better serve patients, stop prescription drug trafficking, and provide treatment to those who are addicted.” The legislation is gaining broad support from legislators and law enforcement in the state, as reported in the New York Daily News.