BUFFALO, NY - It's a victory for those fighting against prescription drug abuse. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was in Buffalo Wednesday morning to announce the passage of the "I-STOP" Legislation.
Schneiderman told 2 On Your Side, in just a few months, doctors who prescribe powerful drugs such as hydrocodone will be able to track every pill given to a patient in real time over the internet. This measure could help prevent the abuse of these pain killers.
The Attorney General was joined by State lawmakers as well as 5 local families that have been pushing for this law.
"I-STOP" stands for Internet System For Tracking Over-prescribing Act, and will help prevent such methods as doctor shopping by patients who often fall victim to prescription drug abuse.
Schneiderman says New York will serve as the model for this comprehensive tracking system, but his goal now is to make this a nationwide system. He has since spoken to Attorney General Doug Gansler of Maryland who is the current President of the National Attorney General's Association.
"He is sending the material on "I-STOP" to every Attorney General in the United States, and recommending this as the type of approach we should be adopting in states all across the country," said Schneiderman.
Mark and Suzanne Crotty lost their 19-year old son Zack after he battled an addiction to pain killers. Mark told 2 On Your Side, "All this wonderful legislation and everything to help the future and unfortunately it wasn't there to be able to help our son, but I'm so glad that we've done something good that's gonna help people in the future and our son has not died in vain."
The Attorney General says some regulations for "I-STOP" are still being drafted and should be by the end of the year. He expects the internet tracking system to be in operation sometime next year.