Senator Alloway and Representative Nesbit introduced legislation to mandate electronic prescribing of opioid medications in Pennsylvania. This bill was introduced by the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society to help reduce drug diversion and addiction by eliminating handwritten prescriptions that can be lost, stolen, or sold illegally. The Society's president spoke in support of the bill, saying electronic prescribing will increase security and reduce wait times for patients. They are asking the General Assembly to pass this bill to help physicians combat the opioid crisis.

1. Protecting Patients and Preventing Drug Diversion:
Senator Alloway, Representative Nesbit Introduce
Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society's E-prescribing
Legislation
Today, State Senator Richard Alloway and State Representative Tedd Nesbit announced the
introduction of legislation to mandate the electronic prescribing of opioid medications.
Harrisburg, PA, February 06, 2017 – Today, State Senator Richard Alloway and State Representative
Tedd Nesbit announced the introduction of legislation to mandate the electronic prescribing of opioid
medications. The bill is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society (POS). Society President
Patrick Smith, MD, as well as POS board members, joined legislators in the Main Capitol Rotunda to
announce the legislation.
“We stand with Senator Alloway and Representative Nesbit to advance a solution that works in the fight
against opioid addiction,” Smith said. “Opioid e-prescribing will absolutely reduce drug diversion due to
written prescriptions being lost, stolen or sold. It just plain makes sense in 2017. We thank Senator
Alloway, Representative Nesbit and all the other legislators who have joined us today to gain this vital
patient protection measure.”
Currently, Pennsylvania law requires opioid prescriptions to be handwritten. A vestige of the pre-
internet era, this statute has not been updated since the 1990s. Although physicians may prescribe all
other medicine by electronic means, opioids must still be prescribed by handwritten prescriptions. The
Alloway and Nesbit bills (SB 299 and HB 353) ?will bring opioid prescribing into the 21st Century.
“Patients and physicians throughout the Commonwealth can feel more secure now that legislative
action is pending on opioid e-prescribing,” Smith said. “Paper scripts will no longer put our communities
at risk of drug diversion and hamper patient care. We respectfully request the General Assembly to
quickly move this solution that works.”
In addition to reducing drug diversion, opioid e-prescribing will add to patient convenience. Like with
other medications, opioid e-prescribing will reduce patient wait times in pharmacies. It will also increase
patient security by eliminating the risk of opioid prescriptions being stolen.
“There are a multitude of reasons for the current opioid addiction crisis and the General Assembly took
important steps last session to turn the tide against it. Opioid e-prescribing is a simple and effective
solution and should be added to the arsenal of weapons available to physicians to combat the crisis,”
Smith concluded.

2. Advocating for excellence in the practice of orthopaedic medicine, POS is a professional medical
specialty organization representing more than 1000 orthopaedic surgeons across Pennsylvania. For
more information on the importance of bone, joint and muscle health at every age, visit
www.paorthosociety.org.
Contact:
Steven Infanti
PA Orthopaedic Society
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-909-8901
justmehbg@earthlink.net
http://www.paorthosociety.org
###