Last week, New York state legislators voted unanimously to require drug prescriptions to be issued electronically within three years. Included in the legislation is the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing (I-STOP) Act, which will create an online, real-time database for physicians and pharmacists to track the dispensing of prescription drugs.
The monitoring registry will require physicians and pharmacists to view timely and enhanced information on patients’ drug records, as well as allow health officials to identify problems or trends. Other provisions in the bill are designed to tighten existing restrictions on painkillers and other addictive drugs, and to direct the state’s Department of Health to create a safe disposal program for unused controlled substances.
Issuing prescriptions electronically through an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system such as Medisoft Clinical, Allscript MyWay, or Lytec MD reduces the risk of the orders being misinterpreted or modified. For more information, contact a healthcare technology consultant at Microwize Technology.