MANGANO TO JOIN NASSAU HEALTH OFFICIALS TO ANNOUNCE NEW NY STATE ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION LAW , ELIMINATING PAPER PADS TO AVOID INCORRECT DOSAGES OR WRONG MEDICATIONS, PREVENTING ILLNESSES AND EVEN DEATHS

Victor F. Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP                                                                                           Michael B. Mirotznik, Esq.,

President/CEO                                                                                                                              Chairman Board of Directors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 28, 2016

PRESS CONTACT:

Shelley Lotenberg

shelley@numc.edu

516-572-6055

East Meadow,  (NY), Monday, March 28, 2016 — Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and Nassau University Medical Center President and CEO, Dr. Victor F. Politi will join  health officials at a press conference being held  today, Monday March 28, 2016 at 2pm, to provide key details of  New York State’s new law requiring doctors, dentists, pharmacies and other health providers, to use electronic prescriptions only, eliminating all handwritten communications to avoid medical errors, illnesses, the flow of illegal prescriptions and deaths.

The paper prescription pad became a thing of the past yesterday, when the new law took effect. New York became the first state in the country to mandate electronic prescriptions for all medications. Doctors and others could face fines for not using e-prescriptions. The law became necessary after authorities and health officials found that stolen prescription pads were being used to funnel medicines into booming black markets. According to reports a blank prescription pad could be worth as much as $150,000 in street sales.

The new law is critically important as some 300 million to 350 million prescriptions are filled each year in New York by doctors and other health providers. Patients and many health officials have long called for e-prescriptions, saying they will eliminate any handwriting errors. Hand writing that is difficult to read can result in the wrong dosage being prescribed or even the wrong medication. Some patients have become violently ill and some have even died as a result of difficult to read hand written prescriptions. Nassau University Medical Center writes tens of thousands of prescriptions a year.

WHEN:     Monday March 28, 2016 2:00PM

WHERE:   Nassau University Medical Center

2201 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554

ABOUT NUHEALTH

NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.