The security enhancements will include color-changing ink, 0.5-point micro-printing, and a hollow “VOID” hidden word feature, among others.

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs regulates all prescription blanks used by State-licensed physicians, dentists, and other prescribers; and regulates the State-approved printing vendors who supply the prescription pads to prescribers.

The Division adopted, and published this week in the New Jersey Register, new regulations that mandate the enhanced security features. The new, secured prescription blanks will be phased in during the next six months. No later than May 18, all State-approved vendors of prescription blanks must stop selling, printing, or delivering the old-form blanks and must exclusively provide the new version. No later than August 18, all State-licensed prescribers must stop using their supply of the old blanks, and must exclusively use the new ones.

“The abuse of prescription painkillers kills approximately 45 Americans every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Prescription painkiller abuse is directly linked to the rise in heroin addiction,” Acting Attorney General Hoffman said. “We are fighting this epidemic on every possible front including our Opiates Task Force for criminal prosecution, our actions against rogue doctors who sell prescriptions for cash, and now these security measures to prevent the forgery and counterfeiting of fake prescriptions.”

The Division developed the new regulations and prescription blank format after conducting research into the prescription security measures used in other states, and discussions with the State-approved printing vendors that currently supply prescription blanks. The Division demonstrated the proposed new security features to pharmacy and healthcare industry representatives at a Division-hosted Pharmacy Security Summit.

“This upgrade to multiple layers of security will help deter those seeking to create and sell counterfeit prescriptions for Controlled Dangerous Substances,” Eric T. Kanefsky, Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, said. “Technology has made it easier and cheaper than ever to make forged prescriptions. Today we are taking that ground back from those who seek to illegally forge prescription blanks.”

The regulations published today represent the first change to New Jersey’s prescription blanks since 2004. Acting Attorney General Hoffman noted that the requirement for these print-based security measures is the first of two steps outlined by the Division of Consumer Affairs to combat forgeries. The Division intends to further amend its rules, and ultimately require security measures that would be embedded in the paper itself.

The new security measures, required by the regulations adopted today, include:

• Thermochromic ink, which changes color in response to body heat. The heat-activated ink will appear in a small Rx logo on the front of the prescription blank. It will fade when touched, and return to its original color when it cools.

• Microprint, of 0.5-point type or smaller. The front of each prescription blank will include a line of microprint that is readable when viewed at 500 percent magnification, but becomes illegible when scanned or photocopied.

• A hollow “VOID” hidden word feature that is invisible on a genuine prescription blank, but should appear in illegally scanned or copied versions.

• A unique 15-digit identification number for each prescription blank. The alphanumeric code will identify the vendor that created the blank, the vendor’s order number, and a six-digit serial number for each separate prescription blank.

• A barcode matching the prescription blank’s unique 15-digit identification number. The barcode will enable pharmacists to scan prescription data into the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program. The NJPMP, maintained by the Division of Consumer Affairs, records all prescription sales in New Jersey of Controlled Dangerous Substances and Human Growth Hormone (more information: www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov/pmp).

• A complete list of all security features will be printed on the back of the prescription blank.

• The new prescription blanks will be green on the front and blue on the back. This will enable them to be more easily distinguished from the old blanks, which are blue on the front and green on the back.

The Division of Consumer Affairs and its Board of Pharmacy, Board of Medical Examiners, and other healthcare professional licensing boards will alert pharmacists and prescribers to the timeline for implementing the new prescription blanks.

Under the New Jersey Criminal Code, the forgery, counterfeiting, or alteration of a New Jersey prescription blank is a crime of the third degree, punishable by a prison term of from three to five years and a fine of up to $15,000.

The new regulation applies only to the use of paper prescription blanks. It does not change the State or federal requirements that pertain to electronic prescriptions. Under rules adopted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, prescribers and pharmacists may use electronic prescriptions for CDS medications only through a secure system that has been tested by a DEA-approved expert. New Jersey regulations allow the use of electronic prescriptions for CDS or non-CDS drugs, only when they comply with DEA requirements as well as requirements adopted by the State.

For much more information on the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs' initiative to halt the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs, view the Division's NJPMP website, and the Division's Project Medicine Drop website.

Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook, and check our online calendar of upcoming Consumer Outreach events.

Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook, and check our online calendar of upcoming Consumer Outreach events.

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