Dive Brief:
- A New York state database tracking the disbursement of prescription drugs has helped cut incidences of doctor shopping by 75%, according to government officials.
- More than 66,000 healthcare pros across the state have run more than 7 million individual prescription checks on almost 3 million patients.
- By March 2015, state law requires that all providers must e-prescribe all drugs.
Dive Insight:
Right now, prescription drug abuse tracking databases are being rolled out on a state-by-state basis, and generally, they seem successful at curbing drug-seeking behavior. Now, it may be time for the federal government to step up and track drugs of abuse in every state. If New York's experience is any indicator, it will save many lives.