Police departments in New Jersey will now be able to test their officers for steroids.
The testing is part of a new plan unveiled Thursday to combat illegal steroid use by law enforcement.
An investigation by The Star-Ledger of Newark found hundreds of officers and firefighters using government benefits to pay for muscle-building drugs.
Those who test positive will need a doctor's letter saying there's a legitimate medical reason and that they're still fit for duty.
“Law enforcement holds a special trust based on its authority and must be held to the highest standard of professionalism. These reforms tighten the safeguards against abuse not only by law enforcement, but by other members of public health plans and doctors who improperly prescribe these substances,” said Attorney Paula General Dow.
Dow says she's calling for legislation to get tough on doctors who improperly prescribe. The plan will also add human growth hormone to the list of prescriptions that the state tracks.
The reforms follow an assessment by a Study Group that was asked to examine law enforcement drug testing policies, the role physicians may play when these drugs are improperly dispensed, greater insurance and prescription monitoring, and the costs to the public.
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New Jersey paid more than $11 million in 2010 for steroid and growth hormone prescriptions for state employees.
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