CLIENT ALERT

NYS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ESTABLISHES AUTOMATED SYSTEM TO ALLOW PHYSICIANS TO MONITOR THEIR PATIENTS' CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE PRESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES

On April 5, 2010, the New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement announced the creation of a new automated system to allow physicians to have secure online access to their patients' controlled substance prescription histories. Through this automated system, physicians can check if a patient has received controlled substance prescriptions from two or more physicians and filled them at two or more pharmacies during the previous calendar month. The new automated system is designed to combat the efforts by some patients to inappropriately obtain prescription drugs (commonly referred to as "drug diversion").

In order to use the new automated system, physicians must have, or establish, a Health Commerce System (HCS) online account. Instructions on how to establish such an account are available at: https://hcsteamwork1.health.state.ny.us/pub/top.html. If a physician has already established an HCS account, he/she may start viewing his/her patients' controlled substance prescription histories. It should be noted that the HCS website was formerly https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/.

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For more information, please contact Ayman Soliman, Esq. or your attorney contact in our firm.