Statement From Senator Liz Krueger On Passage Of S.2486, Delaying Implementation of I-STOP E-Prescription Mandate

New York – State Senator Liz Krueger released the following statement today on the passage of S.2486, Senator Kemp Hannon’s bill to delay implementation of the state’s I-STOP electronic prescribing mandate:

“I am pleased that Senator Hannon’s bill has passed in the Senate with bipartisan support. While I believe implementation of the I-STOP e-prescription system is critical to improving efficiency and avoiding further abuses, the failure of the federal government to operationalize the new system must not be allowed to prevent doctors from providing critically needed medications to their patients.  I look forward to swift action by my colleagues in the Assembly, and I urge Governor Cuomo to sign this bill into law in order to allow sufficient time for medical practitioners to prepare for these important changes.”

In 2012, New York adopted legislation requiring e-prescribing of controlled and non-controlled substances, effective two years from when regulations were adopted. Unfortunately, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency moved slowly in certifying vendors who are authorized to transmit electronic prescriptions for controlled substances. As a result, many doctors and other prescribers around the state, many of whom have electronic records and e-prescribing capability, have contracts with vendors who have not yet received the necessary federal certification. Furthermore, systems must be tested and re-tested to remove operational flaws once certifications are received before the installation and implementation of software updates.

S.2486 amends the public health law to provide a one-year delay to e-prescription requirements.

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