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:

1. An electronic prescription system to transmit prescriptions from a computer to a pharmacy computer or fax machine; or
2. A computerized provider order entry system that generates printed prescriptions.

In those facilities that have

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.

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.