Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS) Mandates and Interactive Map

Summary

Discover an interactive EPCS mandate map providers can use to track where and when mandates are happening in each U.S. state. 

By: Jonathan Vipperman, General Manager of Clinical Exchange

E-prescribing has undergone major changes, including federal and state governments introducing new Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) mandates. To help providers, e-prescribing software vendors, EHRs, and EMRs comply with these mandates, we have created the above map that tracks where and when EPCS mandates have happened or will happen. 

An interactive map to track EPCS mandate status for each U.S. state

Change Healthcare has developed an interactive EPCS mandate status map to quickly discover all current and pending e-prescribing regulations by state. Providers can hover over any U.S. state and see whether there is a mandate in place or one is pending. For each mandate, we’ve provided the most important details as well as the effective date.

On January 1, 2023, EPCS will be enforced for all Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans to be transmitted electronically.

In addition to the federal government regulations, most U.S. states also have mandates for e-prescribing controlled medications. Many states have already enacted the mandates, with Minnesota being the first state in 2011 followed by many other states to date.

Providers must comply with the mandate and also register with and receive an ID number from the DEA. In addition, the compliance has multiple steps including two-factor authentication and other safety measures. 

Change Healthcare’s interactive map is a useful tool to learn about the EPCS mandates as well as important information on the state level to give providers the information they need quickly and accurately.

Quickly integrate e-prescribing into your PMS or EMR

Change Healthcare’s Clinical Exchange ePrescribe offers providers streamlined

efficiency for managing prescriptions. Submitting prescriptions and managing renewal and change requests is typically time-consuming and chaotic for providers who maintain multiple connections or who lack connections to some pharmacies. Clinical Exchange ePrescribe consolidates all pharmacy communications via a single network to help ensure accuracy and save providers time.

Clinical Exchange ePrescribe benefits:

  1. A single connection. Enables providers to connect to 65,000+ pharmacies via a single network.
  2. Improved safety. Helps ensure prescription accuracy and reduction of errors by submitting all orders electronically and decreases the risk of adverse drug interactions.
  3. Greater efficiency. Integrates into providers’ existing workflow with fewer prescription submittal and renewal clicks and makes diagnoses and prescriptions storage retrieval easy with automated authorizations.
  4. Patient satisfaction. Enables providers to select the best pharmacy benefit option for the patient based on their specific plan. The solution also flags available coupons and expedites the fulfillment process.
  5. Time savings. Saves providers time by helping to reduce phone calls and back-and-forth communication with pharmacies and patients.
  6. Enhanced guidance from industry leaders. Offers access to monographs and PDR for reference.
  7. Increased compliance. Provides support for EPCS and access to PDMP, ePA, and enhanced controlled-substance rules to help providers abide by federal and state regulations.
  8. Secure EPCS workflow. The solution is DEA certified and includes two-factor authentication, electronic submission, and audible events tracking.

Our approach to e-prescribing is to blend seamlessly with the way providers work, making the process efficient while improving safety for patients.

Learn more about Change Healthcare’s Clinical Exchange ePrescribe solution and view our EPCS Mandate Status map.

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