Deal is reached on drug tracking

 Legislation would require online reporting of prescriptions to help follow potential medication abuse Associated Press Published 11:32 p.m., Tuesday, June 5, 2012  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman speaks during Law Day being observed at the New York State Court of Appeals Tuesday, May 1, 2012 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)ALBANY — New York officials announced a deal Tuesday on legislation to establish tighter online oversight of prescription drugs to help curb the black market fueled by painkiller addictions and doctor shopping.  The measure would make New York the first state to establish mandatory online reporting of prescriptions in real time when they're written by doctors and filled by pharmacists. Doctors would have to check a patient's database history before prescribing painkillers.  While most states require weekly reporting, Oklahoma has real-time reporting by pharmacists. Officials said New York's current system requires reporting by pharmacists within 45 days and reporting by physicians is voluntary.  Pushed by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman since last summer, live online reporting and other measures to curb abuse of hydrocodone and other prescription drugs have been under negotiation between the Cuomo administration, Schneiderman's office and legislative leaders trying to craft a final bill.  "It's the fastest-growing drug problem in our state and in the country. ... They're the drugs of choice for a whole new generation of abusers," Schneiderman said Tuesday. "What's at stake here is thousands of lives, billions of dollars in health care costs."  They hope to have the regulations done by the end of the year, with the database up and running next year, Schneiderman said.  "We have seen too many untimely deaths as a result of prescription drug abuse, and today New York state is taking the lead in saying enough is enough," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.  Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon, a Long Island Republican who held hearings and studied the problem, said that in the last documented year, more than 22 million prescriptions for painkillers were written in a state with less than 20 million people.  According to the sponsors, federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show nearly 15,000 people die every year of overdoses of prescription painkillers.  Doctors have lobbied in Albany against provisions they see as time-consuming and burdensome, citing concerns about privacy and that database checking and reporting will stretch patient visits and prompt some doctors to limit painkillers to patients who need them.