Telehealth has breathed new life into the idea of house calls, and now doctors’ paper prescription pads are also getting a much-needed digital makeover. 

E-prescribing, which has been around for years, has already been proven to reduce errors, save time and improve outcomes.¹ The opioid crisis, which caused a record 110,236 U.S. deaths in 2022, however, has spurred federal and state legislation mandating another level of security to the process of writing prescriptions.²

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began enforcing the Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances, or EPCS, on January 1, 2023, although the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) first introduced the regulations on June 1, 2010. We are now starting to see individual states following suit with their own legislation deadlines for healthcare and EHR providers.

With 20% of nationwide prescribers not yet enabled for e-prescribing, rural healthcare providers in particular need to get up to speed quickly to achieve EPCS readiness.³

A seamless solution for making prescriptions more secure

“With EPCS, the DEA requires two main controls in place to become and remain compliant,” explained Mrugesh Chandarana, Director of Product Management, IdenTrust. “First, prescribers must submit identity-proofing information to the credential service provider or certificate authority for verification. After verifying their identity, prescribers must obtain two-factor authentication credentials for signing a controlled substance prescription.”

IdenTrust provides both identity-proofing and multi-factor authentication features that simplify compliance and provide a seamless user experience for healthcare providers and prescribers using electronic health record systems (EHRs). Since the DEA mandates third-party audits as part of EPCS compliance, IdenTrust helps EHR providers with the audit letter that streamlines the audit process with DEA regulators. IdenTrust’s solution is easily integrated into EHR systems with RESTful APIs and mobile application-based authentication.

“From the authentication credential or identity-proofing standpoint, EHR providers don’t have to get involved as IdenTrust works directly with prescribers,” explained Chandarana. “Everything is bundled into the EPCS solution. It typically takes about a week for EHR providers to integrate our solution within their electronic health record system.” IdenTrust’s seamless integration with EHR systems and hassle-free identity-proofing approach for healthcare providers is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to EPCS compliance within EHR applications.

One-stop shop for DEA compliance

For healthcare providers using EHR applications that still need to achieve EPCS readiness, a one-stop solution can help them quickly onboard their prescribers whether those prescribers need only an identity-proofing solution or a bundled solution that includes multi-factor authentication.

“IdenTrust performs identity-proofing remotely and without any video call or human interaction, making the process very seamless for prescribers,” he explained. Unlike traditional identity-proofing methods that require prescribers to attend either a face-to-face or a virtual identity verification appointment, IdenTrust takes care of identity-proofing on EHR providers’ behalf so that prescribers can spend their valuable time taking care of patients.

For healthcare providers that have plans to implement an EHR system for the first time, or that are moving from one EHR to another, IdenTrust’s seamless service extends well-beyond identity-proofing. “We work with more than 45 EHR providers and integrate with their systems so that providers don’t need to get new credentials if they choose to change their EHR application,” Chandarana continued. IdenTrust is a one-stop EPCS solution that allows healthcare providers the freedom and flexibility to use the EHR applications that best suit their needs and empowers them to more easily increase their EPCS readiness.

Today, a handful of states already require not just controlled but also non-controlled prescriptions to meet the same compliance standards. It won’t be long until e-prescribing is being used for all prescriptions.

“Within the next three to five years, I see the same process being applied to all e-prescriptions, including prescriptions of non-controlled substances,” said Chandarana.

References

1. Osmani, F., Arab-Zozani, M., et al. May 2023. Evaluation of the effectiveness of electronic prescription in reducing medical and medical errors (systematic review study). Ann Pharm Fr 81(3):433-445. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.pharma.2022.12.002.
2. Mann, B. December 31, 2022. 2022 was a deadly (but hopeful) year in America's opioid crisis. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/31/1145797684/2022-was-a-deadly-but-hopeful-year-in-americas-opioid-crisis.
3. Tableau Public. January 13, 2023. EPCS readiness: Which states lead the charge? https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/surescripts.bi/viz/EPCSReadinessWhichStatesLeadtheCharge_0/EPCSMAPS.