Hospital Prescribing Exemption Expires

To: All New York State Practitioners

From: James Giglio, Director, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement

Date: March 2007 (Revised)

Subject: Controlled Substance and Official Prescription Program Update

The exemption from the requirement for hospital practitioners to prescribe on official New York State prescriptions will expire on April 19, 2007 for those hospitals that have not implemented a computerized provider order entry system that generates printed prescriptions or an electronic prescribing system to transmit prescriptions from a computer to a pharmacy computer or fax machine. In those facilities that have not implemented one of these systems, all written prescriptions—for both controlled and non-controlled substances—must be issued on an official prescription after April 19, 2007.

The prescribing exemption will continue after April 19, 2007 for those hospitals and their affiliated clinics and health services that have implemented an electronic prescribing system to transmit prescriptions to pharmacies capable of receiving them or a computerized provider order entry system that generates printed prescriptions.

www.nyhealth.gov/professionals/narcotic/ or by calling the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement at 1-866-811-7957.

only to the prescribing of non-controlled substances. Written prescriptions for controlled substances must be issued on an official New York State prescription.

Printing Prescriptions on Official New York State Prescription Paper

Section 6810(6) of the New York State Education Law requires all prescriptions to include the following information:

  • these words: "THIS PRESCRIPTION WILL BE FILLED GENERICALLY UNLESS PRESCRIBER WRITES 'd a w' IN THE BOX BELOW". The words must be imprinted in eight-point upper case type immediately below the prescription signature line.
  • the 'daw' box must be directly under the prescription signature line and must be three-quarters inch in length and one-half inch in height. Immediately below the box, the words "Dispense As Written" must be imprinted in six-point type.

Practitioners and healthcare facilities utilizing electronic medical record (EMR) systems to print prescriptions on official New York State prescription paper should ensure that their EMR software prints the above required information on all prescriptions. To safeguard against unauthorized use of official prescriptions, EMR software should also print "VOID" on any unused portions of the paper provided in sheet format containing 4 prescriptions.