New York State Drug Monitoring Database Law Goes Into Effect

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Posted Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 03:52pm EDT

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by Long Island Attorney Paul A. Lauto, Esq./ www.liattorney.com

New York State has implemented a drug monitoring database system known as I-STOP (Internet System For Tracking Over Prescribing).  The law, which went into effect August 27, 2013, requires both doctors and pharmacists to track a patient’s prescription history.  In addition, doctors are now required to consult the database before prescribing schedule II, III or IV controlled substances.  Under the new system, pharmacists will perform real time reporting when filling most controlled substances.

The purpose behind the new law is multi-fold and is professed to include, among other things:

1.    Detection and prevention of dangerous drug interactions.
2.    Identification of patterns of abuse.
3.    Prevention of drug addiction.
4.    Improvement of patient care.
5.    Reduction in stolen and forged prescriptions.
6.    Prevention of “Doc Shopping”.
7.    Assist in the prosecution of controlled substance offenders.
8.    Money savings to insurers and the public.

Perhaps the most publicized potential benefit to the new law, is that by design it will drastically reduce the ability of people to “Doc Shop”.  That is the ability of someone to receive and fill duplicitous prescriptions, by going from doctor to doctor and pharmacy to pharmacy.  In a further effort to eradicate stolen and forged prescriptions in NY, by December 2014 controlled substances will only be available by e-prescription.  It appears that the new law ultimatley seeks to prove the adage “An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure”.

Long Island Lawyer
Paul A. Lauto, Esq.
www.liattorney.com

Paul A. Lauto, Esq.
Paul A. Lauto, Esq. completed his undergraduate studies at SUNY at Stony Brook in 1987, with a major in political science and a double minor in socio-legal studies and moral-legal issues in philosophy. Mr. Lauto received his Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 1990 and was admitted in 1991 to practice in the courts of New York State, as well as the Eastern and Southern Districts of the United States District Court.

Mr. Lauto has primarily focused on personal injury throughout his career and previously worked as in-house counsel to a major insurance company. In 2002 Mr. Lauto established Paul A. Lauto, PLLC, with a primary concentration on personal injury, all types of accident cases, Wills, Trusts and Estates and more. Paul is the sole author of his Scales of Justice blog, which provides updates and information about current legal stories in the news and how they may affect our lives. Mr. Lauto prides himself on providing clients maximum results, with a high level of personal attorney service and attention that is uncommon in the profession. For more information please visit http://www.liattorney.com