On the heels of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s report about the epidemic of prescription drug abuse in the North Country and around the state, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is endorsing the AG’s proposed legislation.

In the North Country, health care facilities have experienced a staggering increase in the percentage of non-crisis admissions for substance abuse involving prescription narcotics, eclipsing cocaine and heroin in Clinton and Franklin Counties, and surpassing even marijuana in St. Lawrence County.

Schneiderman’s bill is aimed at cracking down on abuses such as “doc-shopping” – finding several doctors who will write prescriptions – and on forged prescriptions.

The plan also calls for creation of an online, real-time database to track narcotics prescriptions.

“Abuse of addictive painkillers has increased drastically in the last decade, but our state’s regulation and monitoring of these powerful drugs has not kept up,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “I strongly support Attorney General Schneiderman’s I-STOP bill, which would help to rein in doctor shopping, prevent the use of forged prescriptions, and identify patients in need of addiction treatment. It’s the right solution to tackle the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse.”

Prescription drug abuse is the country’s second most prevalent illegal drug problem, and recent reports and studies have documented corresponding data in the state. For example:

Statewide prescriptions for hydrocodone have increased 16.7 percent, while those for oxycodone have increased an astonishing 82 percent;

New York’s current prescription monitoring program requires pharmacists to report controlled substances they dispense at least once every 45 days. There is no tracking of prescriptions written and there is no mechanism whatsoever for pharmacists to ensure that a prescription presented is valid.

Supported by a broad coalition of law enforcement, health care experts and lawmakers, I-STOP’s goal is to enable doctors and pharmacists to provide prescription pain medications, and other controlled substances, to patients who truly need them. At the same time, it will arm them with the necessary data to detect potentially dangerous drug interactions, identify patterns of abuse by patients, doctors and pharmacists, help those who suffer from crippling addictions and prevent potential addiction before it starts.