NY eyes tough reporting system for dispensing of prescription drugs

Maybe it's the mounting death toll or the sobering addiction statistics. Or that it's an election year for all state lawmakers. No matter the reason, efforts are taking hold for New York to join other states that require doctors and pharmacists to participate in a real-time reporting system before dispensing prescriptions for painkillers, sleeping pills and other controlled drugs. Stalled for several years, the push is on at the state Capitol to end a system that now permits growing numbers of people addicted to powerful narcotics to physician- and pharmacy-shop for their drug supplies.