New York State Commits To e-Prescribing

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

The state of New York is now requiring all prescription medications to be prescribed electronically in an effort to prevent the abuse of controlled substances, improve patient safety, and control fraud.

New York is the first state to mandate e-prescribing and impose penalties for doctors who don't comply. This mandate comes in an effort to reduce the abuse of controlled substances, improve patient safety, and control fraud.

Health IT Analytics reports the state is offering waiver opportunities to organizations within the state that cannot comply with e-prescribing. These include long-term care facilities and some organizations that do not have EHRs and would not be capable of using an e-prescribing system. Dr. Joseph Maldonado Jr., president of the Medical Society of the State of New York said the waivers will help those still having trouble, however, “at this time we have not called for (further) delay, but we have made efforts to try to tweak the law in areas that are problematic for physicians.”

Under the new mandate, New York healthcare organizations must use state-approved e-prescribing technology to send prescriptions to pharmacies. Modern Healthcare reports The Medical Society of the State of New York is currently pushing for an exemption for physicians who write fewer than 20 prescriptions a year.  “They shouldn't be subject (to the law), because it can be a financial burden,” Maldonado says.

Some doctors have mixed feelings about requirements for e-prescribing. “It is a good thing to make electronic prescribing ever more available,” American Medical Association President Steven Stack, M.D., told the AP. However, Fierce Health IT notes Stack added that it should not have to be required all the time.