Insight: Winter 2021

Winter 2021 | 22 ePrescribing Jessica Swanger, Product Analyst In August 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new rule that 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) would 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 then proposed to push the EPCS mandate’s effective date to January 1, 2022. Due to feedback from some organizations, CMS announced a final rule on December 1, 2020, requiring that Part D providers use electronic prescribing for controlled substances for schedules II, III, IV, or V effective January 1, 2021. The goal is to boost adoption of the EPCS standard by prescribers as soon as possible. While CMS has required providers implement EPCS starting January 1, 2021, the enforcement of this requirement has been delayed until January 1, 2022. This decision was made partly because of the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, but also to have more time to set possible penalties and waivers based on the feedback received from RFI in October 2020. CMS stated in their final rule, “To help ensure that section 2003 of the SUPPORT Act is implemented smoothly and with minimal burden to prescribers, in this CY 2021 PFS final rule we are finalizing that prescribers be required to use the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) SCRIPT 2017071 Standard for EPCS prescription transmissions, the same standard which Part D plans are already required to support. We proposed implementation of the EPCS mandate effective January 1, 2022, but based on comments received, are finalizing the provision with an effective date of January 1, 2021.” 1 ePrescribing Update RedSail completed certification for the New SCRIPT Standard Version 2017071 in May 2019 as part of the early adopter program with Surescripts ® . The RedSail team has also been working hard to complete testing and certification with eMAR vendors to support electronic prescribing and EPCS for long-term care pharmacies as well. If you have not done so already, it is recommended that your pharmacy enroll for EPCS as soon as possible. RedSail also suggests that you reach out to your local providers and encourage them to enroll as well. Source 1. Final Policy, Payment, and Quality Provisions Changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for Calendar Year 2020. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 12/01/20. Web. Accessed: 01/18/21. www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/final-policy- payment-and-quality-provisions-changes-medicare- physician-fee-schedule-calendar-year-1