E-Prescribing Advocacy Alert

Last week, A.9334/S.6778, legislation providing a permanent exemption from the electronic prescribing requirements for certain oral prescriptions, was delivered to the Governor for his signature. You may recall that regulations mandating electronic prescribing for all medications went into effect earlier this year but were delayed until March 2017 due to the significant implementation problems in the nursing home setting. These problems, if left unaddressed, could cause medication errors, delays in medication administration, increased hospitalizations, or other negative outcomes.

The Governor has 10 days to make a decision on the bill, and we strongly urge members to send him letters of support. Click here to access our pre-written letter that can be emailed directly to the Governor. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has submitted a letter of opposition, and it is our understanding that the Department of Health (DOH) is not supportive of the bill either. This will be an uphill battle, and so it is critical that members take action and send as many letters as possible. You may access the OAG’s letter of opposition here and LeadingAge’s NY letter to the Governor here.

Contact: Jeff Diamond or Ami Schnauber, 518-867-8383