SYRACUSE, NY (WSYR-TV) - The Upstate New York Poison Center supports a plan to crack down on prescription drug abuse and fraud.
New York's Attorney General recently reported that painkiller prescriptions have increased by 6-million statewide in the last four years.
To keep these drugs out of the wrong hands, A.G. Eric Schneiderman is proposing to track prescriptions in an internet data-base, in real time. Currently, pharmacies only have to file a report once a month.
Dr. Ross Sullivan at the Upstate New York Poison Center says it's a good start.
"We have patients who come in who are chronically on them and they need more or they run out. We also have patients in our younger population which is concerning, when they don't have a prescription for these, but parents do, or parents of friends do and they come in already addicted to these and sometimes they are looking for them or need them before they go into withdrawal,” said Dr. Sullivan.
Schneiderman’s proposed Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act (I-STOP) first needs approval from the State Legislature and Governor.
