Insight - Fall 2020

Fall 2020 | 25 ePrescribing Jessica Swanger, Product Analyst On August 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new rule. Starting January 1, 2021 prescriptions for controlled substances covered under a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan (MA/PD) will be required to be transmitted electronically in support of Section 2003 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act. CMS posted a request for information (RFI) hoping to gain insight on whether there should be exceptions to this rule and when and if penalties should be enforced for noncompliance with this mandate. The RFI was open for comment until the end of business on October 5, 2020. Information on the RFI and CMS’s proposed January 2021 rule can be found here . While the proposed rule is geared towards Medicare Part D covered controlled substances, when Medicare requires it, it typically becomes a requirement for ALL controlled substance prescriptions in the industry. Some states have their own mandates, which are aligning with this date for controlled substances as well. For example, starting January 1, 2021, South Carolina will require ALL controlled substances to be electronically prescribed. California will require ALL prescriptions be prescribed electronically on January 1, 2022 (with some exceptions, of course). Even though electronic prescribing has been available and required in most states, adoption has been slow on the prescriber side; however, it is growing. One of the many benefits to Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS) is the two-factor authentication and digital signature. Two-factor authentication can reduce fraud and increase security. What do you need to do to be prepared? In order to ensure compliance prior to January 1, 2021, be sure your pharmacy is enrolled for EPCS. There is no charge for enrollment. Go to qs1.com , sign in with your credentials, and click EPCS Enrollment under the Services section. Once you click Enroll , a screen displays for you to enter a contact. After enrollment is complete, wait 24 hours and check for service packs. Log into NRx or PrimeCare and go to Store Control > Store Level Options > Rx Filling . Check the box for Controlled Substance Processing . It is important to note that this option will check to make sure users’ passwords meet federal requirements. If the passwords do not meet the requirements, users will be required to change their password. It is recommended to not enable this flag during business hours. ePrescribing by QS/1 works with Surescripts ® via a secure network. For more information, email pharmacyservices@ redsailtechnologies.com or call 800.845.7558, ext. 1471. What’s Next for ePrescribing?