News from our Neighbors

I-STOP ACT COMPONENT GOES INTO EFFECT IN NYS

Now Doctors Must Check Patients’ Narcotic Prescription Histories Before Writing Or Refilling A Prescription

(August 27, 2013) STATEN ISLAND — Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman joined elected officials and community leaders from New York to celebrate the implementation of a key component of New York State’s innovative program for preventing prescription drug abuse. Introduced in June 2011 by Attorney General Schneiderman and unanimously passed by the Legislature in 2012, was the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing (I-STOP) Act.

I-STOP set up a real-time database that tracks every prescription for opioid pills that gets filled in New York State. Starting today, doctors are required under the law to consult that database before writing any prescriptions for a Schedule II, III, or IV controlled substance, including narcotic painkillers. New York is now the only state in the country with such a verification requirement.

I-STOP has helped provide prescribers with as much information as possible as quickly as possible to avoid dangerous drug interactions and to detect drug dealers who use pharmacies as suppliers. Earlier this year, two abused drugs, hydrocodone and tramadol, were rescheduled. Hydrocodone became a Schedule II drug, thereby ending the automatic refills that evaded medical review. Tramadol, previously unscheduled, became a Schedule IV drug. 

In December 2014, I-STOP will make New York one of the first states to schedule the universal mandate of e-prescribing for all drugs. This system will nearly eliminate the problem of forged, traded, or stolen prescriptions.

ONTARIO DRIVER AND VEHICLE LICENCE FEES CONTINUE GRADUAL INCREASE

(August 27, 2013) Ministry of Transportation - Ontario is continuing its gradual increase of driver and vehicle licence fees. Fees for new driver’s licences and renewals, driver’s licence replacements, driver examinations and vehicle permits are among those being increased. Until last year, they had not been increased in 15 years.

Fees will increase anywhere from $5 to $10. For example new driver’s licence and renewals will jump from the current $75 to $80 starting September 1.

Even with these increases, Ontario’s passenger vehicle licence fees will remain lower than many other provinces in Canada.

To see the full listing of fee increases visit http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/news/backgrounder/fee-changes-2013-09-01.shtml