Hospital Prescribing Exemption - Letter to Pharmacies
To: All New York State Pharmacies
From: James Giglio, Director, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement
Date: April 2007
Subject: Controlled Substance and Official Prescription Program Update
Prescribing Exemption Expires
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:
- An electronic prescription system to transmit prescriptions from a computer to a pharmacy computer or fax machine; or
- A computerized provider order entry system that generates printed prescriptions.
In those facilities that have not implemented one of the above systems, all written prescriptions—for both controlled and non-controlled substances—must be issued on an official New York State prescription after April 19, 2007.
Prescribing Exemption Continues
The prescribing exemption will continue after April 19, 2007 for those hospitals and their affiliated clinics and health services that have implemented an electronic prescription system to transmit prescriptions to pharmacies capable of receiving them. The exemption will also continue after April 19, 2007 for those facilities that have implemented a computerized provider order entry system that generates printed prescriptions. Such facilities must first be approved by the Department of Health for the prescribing exemption to continue.
Pharmacists can access a listing of facilities that have been approved for the prescribing exemption online at: www.nyhealth.gov/professionals/narcotic or by calling the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement at 1-866-811-7957.
Prescriptions Issued Under the Prescribing Exemption
Facilities that have been approved for the prescribing exemption may issue prescriptions for non-controlled substances on the prescription form of the facility. In the near future, the Department of Health will issue secure serialized authentication labels to these facilities. Prescribers in approved facilities must then affix such labels to all prescriptions for non-controlled substances that are issued on the prescription form of the facility.
Important Note: The prescribing exemption applies only to the prescribing of non-controlled substances. Written prescriptions for controlled substances must be issued on an official New York State prescription.
