Extra effort on pain pills for doctors and pharmacists is needed

"First, do no harm," the Hippocratic oath tells doctors. But how can physicians prescribing narcotics manage this without checking to see if patients are addicts? Painkiller prescriptions, related deaths and hospital admissions have skyrocketed on Long Island over the past few years. Two deadly drugstore robberies in 2011 highlighted the crisis on Long Island. A plan introduced by the state's attorney general could help by forcing doctors and pharmacists to check a database before providing narcotics to patients. It's necessary, but lobbying groups for doctors oppose it, fearing the administrative burden, and pharmacists are protesting too. Doctors and pharmacies seem to determine whether a patient is covered by insurance with ease. They should dedicate the same effort to determining whether patients can safely have medications.