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New York Law Curbs Opioid Crisis

By October 25, 2016August 22nd, 2018

pillsThis year Gov. Cuomo signed a New York law that will help curb the opioid crisis.  This landmark legislation to combat heroin and opioid addiction in New York follows recommendations by a Senate task force.  The legislation takes major steps to  increase access to treatment, expand community prevention strategies, and limit the over-prescription of opioids.

The law limits initial opioid prescriptions from 30 to 7 days and requires mandatory prescriber education on pain management, while lifting barriers to treatment for addiction.   These expand on several measures taken since 2011 to identify and address shortcomings in prevention and treatment including the Internet System for  Tracking Over-Prescribing Act (I-STOP) which is a prescription monitoring program to prevent patients from “doctor shopping” for multiple prescriptions for controlled substances.

Earlier this year the Governor announced that New York was joining the National PMP InterConnect Hub which allows states to share data to prevent individuals from stockpiling dangerous drugs.  New York also requires that all prescriptions be submitted electronically in all but very limited cases.

For more information about how these laws will impact your Workers Compensation claim costs, contact The Injury Management team at The Flanders Group  by calling 800-462-6435.