Reps. Grimm, Higgins Lead Push to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse in New York

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representatives Michael G. Grimm (R-S.I./Brooklyn) and Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) led New York's Congressional delegation in sending a letter of support for New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's proposed legislation, the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act (I-STOP). This state-led initiative would establish a program connecting doctors and pharmacists to a real-time, online database to track the prescribing and dispensing of frequently abused drugs. Prescription drug monitoring programs currently operate in 43 states, and I-STOP will help New York join the ranks with a modernized approach to combating prescription drug abuse. Twenty-four members of New York's Congressional delegation signed the letter.

"Prescription drug abuse in New York State is becoming a growing epidemic, with alarming rates in Staten Island and Brooklyn, particularly among our youth," said Rep. Grimm. "I have been a leader on this issue at the federal level and fully support this effort to combat "pharmacy shopping' at the state level. Too many lives have been taken by this problem and I encourage New York's legislators to adopt I-STOP without delay."

"New York has long proven itself to be a leader in medical technologies," said Rep. Higgins. "The I-STOP program is just what we need to modernize our approach to tackling prescription drug abuse and give doctors and pharmacists the best available tools for reducing this alarming trend."

I-STOP takes the following steps to combat prescription drug abuse in New York: 1) requires the Department of Health to establish and maintain an online, real-time controlled substance reporting system to track the prescription and dispensing of controlled substances; 2) requires practitioners to review a patient's controlled substance prescription history on the system prior to prescribing; 3) requires practitioners or their agents to report a prescription for such controlled substances to the system at the time of issuance; 4) requires pharmacists to review the system to confirm the person presenting such a prescription possesses a legitimate prescription prior to dispensing such substance; and 5) requires pharmacists or their agents to report dispensation of such prescriptions.

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