New York State is requiring doctors to do away with traditional pen-and-pad prescriptions by March 27th. They’ll have to switch to e-prescriptions that doctors send to a pharmacy electronically.
Governor Andrew Cuomo says the move is aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse and fraud. More than 60,000 doctors in New York State have already switched to e-prescriptions. Dr. Joshua Miller is one of them.
“It’s a lot more convenient, it makes it easier and safer for the patient to start a new treatment regimen almost instantaneously,” he says.
Miller is an endocrinologist and director of Diabetes Care at Stony Brook Medicine. He says he’s been issuing e-prescriptions for controlled substances like testosterone and diabetes medication over the last year.
Doctors who don’t meet doctors the March 27th deadline may face fines and prosecution. “I do feel do feel bad for the smaller private practice docs who don’t necessarily have the infrastructure in place to support e-prescribing,” Miller said.
The original switchover deadline was in March of last year, but it was extended to March 27th of this year after Cuomo signed legislation to grant more time for doctors to make the switch.