New York Refill Restrictions on Pain Medication

A new law in New York State will tighten restrictions on prescription painkillers.  Starting Saturday 2/23/2013, refills will no longer be allowed for hydrocodone prescriptions.

You will only be able to get a 30 day supply, and every month and you’ll need a new prescription from your doctor.  Those using the drugs for chronic pain are the exception to the rule.   They will be granted 90-day prescriptions, before needing a renewal.

The new law, called I-STOP, aims to cut down on painkiller abuse and addiction.  For more information regarding this please click here.

Pharmacists say it’s a growing problem here in Central New York. There will also be a new electronic database which doctors can consult before handing out a prescription to make sure their patient is not getting the same drug from another doctor as well.

Some call this a major inconvenience, but most patients are not even aware of this policy yet.

Other aspects of the law include upgrading Tramadol to a Schedule IV drug, putting a limit on its prescription quantity and increasing access to drug abuse databases and purchasing history for pharmacists.

The iSTOP Act will continue to be rolled out through Aug. 27.