By John Moore
The Health and Human Services Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are reviewing the feedback they have received on DEA proposed rule on e-prescribing for controlled substances, but the final rule might not emerge this year.
DEA published the proposed rule earlier this year, which would impose security requirements for e-prescribing of controlled substances. A public comment period expired Sept. 25. Groups representing physicians, pharmacies and health information technology vendors have expressed concern that the rule as currently written could impede adoption of e-prescribing.
Kerry Weems, acting administrator of HHS; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said DEA and HHS are reviewing the comments. Speaking at CMS; National E-Prescribing Conference in Boston this week, Weems said the goal is to address DEA concerns while creating a rule that doesn’t provide a barrier to e-prescribing.
Jodi Daniel, director of the Office of Policy and Research in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, said the final rule might not be on DEA to-do list for this calendar year. The presidential election could also push action into next year.
The change in administration…may slow things down; said Daniel, who also spoke at the conference.
Meanwhile, a Medicare incentive program that will initially provide a 2 percent bonus to physicians who adopt e-prescribing goes into effect Jan. 1, 2009.
Some experts say Deal’s current prohibition against e-prescribing controlled substances has blocked broader acceptance of the technology. The situation compels doctors who use e-prescribing to maintain a paper-based system for controlled substances and an electronic system for other drugs.
To help spur use of the technology, the eHealth Initiative released A Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing at the conference. The organization compiled the guide in cooperation with the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the Medical Group Management Association and the Center for Improving Medication Management
Above article published on http://www.govhealthit.com/newsitem.aspx?tid=77&nid=69406
Tags: DEA, E-Prescribing, eHealth, Electronic Prescribing, HHS
Posted October 15, 2009 by admin under EMR, Electronic Prescription, Hospital