What’s it mean? A new state law kicked in Tuesday aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse in New York.
The Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing (I-STOP) Act requires physicians to consult a real-time online database before writing prescriptions for certain controlled substances. The database is designed to cut drug abuse for opioid pills and narcotic painkillers, among the most abused drugs.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who first introduced the legislation in 2011 and was passed unanimously by state legislators last year, said in a media release the database gives medical professionals with the information necessary to detect doctor-shoppers and better serve patients at risk of addiction.
“Illegal trafficking in prescription drugs poses an enormous danger to the public,” he said. “I-STOP has already started reducing the supply of opioid painkillers on the street, even before mandatory verification took effect. Now, New York is leading the nation in the fight to protect the public from the devastating consequences of prescription drug abuse. ”
The database, also accessible to pharmacists, will also help prevent potentially dangerous drug interactions.
But some doctors won’t be able to begin using the system for another two months.
