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History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1080
- Notice of committee consideration - withdrawn
- Notice of committee consideration - requested
- Referred to health
- Print number 2820b
- Amend (t) and recommit to health
- Print number 2820a
- Amend and recommit to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to providing pharmacists access to New York's prescription drug monitoring program resources
In Senate Committee · Health · Sponsor Michael Cusick
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S2820B
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to providing pharmacists access to New York's prescription drug monitoring program resources
Purpose or general idea of bill
To allow pharmacists to request access to certain New York's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program data, in order to determine a prescription's authenticity, whether it was already filled by another pharmacy or physician, and whether the patient has engaged in "doctor shopping". New York's physicians already have this ability.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 3371 of the Public Health Law is amended by adding a new subdivision (f) which provides pharmacists access to New York's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
Justification
This bill opens New York's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program records to pharmacists, in the same way that physicians already have access to them. Pharmacists would be able learn a patient's medical history - including doctor and pharmacy visits, prescription history, and any suspicions of drug misuse, abuse or diversion. This information could prove to be lifesaving whether for individuals seeking to abuse prescription drugs or individuals who have a complicated medical history.
Other states have opened this information to pharmacies years ago and they have done so without sacrificing patient safety, privacy or access to prescription drugs. Kentucky, a national leader in prescription drug monitoring, has studied healthcare provider satisfaction with access to such information, and found overwhelming approval. These providers agreed that recent medical history and prescription drug records provided for informed, safe and responsible decisions for their patients.
Currently, we have a limited Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in New York State. Article 33 of the Public Health Law and Part 80 of Title 10 regulations require pharmacists to electronically submit information to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) from all prescriptions dispensed for controlled substances. Under this regulation, NYSDOH shall monitor the data submitted by the pharmacists to protect practitioners from drug seekers. They must also notify practitioners when analyses of official prescription data indicate that their patients are obtaining controlled substances from multiple sources, an indicator that they may be engaging in "doctor shopping." NYSDOH is still in the process of establishing this program. An obvious flaw in the current program is that pharmacists are not allowed to access the data base.
New York's laws and regulations in regard to the sharing of this information have, unfortunately, fallen behind those of other states.
This legislation gives pharmacists the ability to combat prescription drug fraud. Currently, 39 States have prescription drug monitoring laws of some sort.
This bill, if passed into law, would enable all of the parties involved in an individual patient's healthcare decisions to have information necessary to make the right prescription drug choices. It is also part of a two bill package to strengthen New York State's Prescription Monitoring Program.
Prior legislative history
S.7684 - Died in Senate Health.
Fiscal implications
Minimal administrative costs.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.