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NY Legislation Would Change State's PMP Reporting Capabilities and Requirements and Reclassify Hydrocodone as Schedule II
Aimed to help fight prescription drug abuse, proposed legislation in New York would change “the way prescription drugs are distributed and tracked” in the state. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and New York legislators announced an agreement on the proposed legislation that would include requiring the “updating and modernization” of the New York Department of Health’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) Registry to “include information about dispensed controlled substances reported by pharmacies on a ‘real time’ basis,” as explained in a press release from the office of Attorney General Schneiderman. In addition, the law would require “health care practitioners to consult the PMP Registry before prescribing or dispensing the controlled substances that are most prone to abuse and diversion, while exempting practitioners from consulting in specific situations in order to protect patient access to needed medications. Moreover, pharmacists, for the first time, will now be able to consult the PMP Registry before dispensing a controlled substance.” The law would also mandate electronic prescribing for controlled substances. Further, under the proposed law, hydrocodone will be classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, “eliminating automatic refills and, in general, by limiting the amount prescribed or dispensed to a maximum 30-day supply.” In addition, the law would require the New York Department of Health to establish a safe disposal program for unused medications. Governor Cuomo stated that the “landmark agreement will help put a stop to the growing number of fatalities resulting from overdoses on prescription drugs." The measure is expected to take effect next year, reports The New York Times.
