Bill would require opioid warnings in pharmacies

A bill proposed in Nassau County would require pharmacies to warn their customers about the addictive dangers of opioid drugs.

County Democratic legislators filed a bill Monday that they say will increase awareness about the potential for addiction amid the national opioid epidemic. The Pharmacy Opioid Notice Law would mandate that warnings be posted in pharmacies, so that everyone who picks up an opioid prescription would be faced with a warning at the counter.

"This is a hidden danger," says Nassau Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove). "As a mom, as a legislator, I hope that this is passed unanimously."

If passed, pharmacies would pay a fine for every day the notice is not posted.

The Long Island Pharmacists Society says many independent pharmacists already hand out information about addiction with prescriptions.

Lawmakers say that in 2016, there were nearly 500 opioid-related deaths on Long Island.