E-prescribe (eRx) mandates are on the rise as the switch to digital continues to expand in the behavioral health industry. According to the American Psychiatric Association, e-Prescribing is defined as “the electronic transmission of a drug prescription directly to a pharmacy through EHR technology, or via a standalone electronic prescribing suite.” 

At this point in time, most U.S. States have eRx mandates in place or in development. For those that do not, Medicare Part D participants will be required to implement an electronic prescribing solution by January 1, 2023. 

What Does This Mean for Behavioral Health Providers? 

Depending on what state you practice in, there may be mandates already in place. This means that in order to prescribe certain medications to your patients, you will need to comply with those regulations by implementing electronic prescribing software. If not, you may face penalties depending on the laws in your state. 

Providers in states that do not have eRx mandates in place have more time. Ultimately, this is the direction the industry is moving in, so it may be best to get ahead of the curve by looking for a well-vetted solution. 

States with ePrescribe Mandates: 

25 States in the U.S. currently have ePrescribe mandates in place as of January 2022. In most cases, these mandates are designed to mediate the use of controlled substances by streamlining prescriptions from the provider directly to the pharmacy. States with mandates in place along with the types of prescriptions required to be sent electronically under that mandate include: 

• Arizona – schedule II controlled substances. 
• Arkansas – schedule II-IV controlled substances.
• Colorado – schedule II-IV controlled substances.
• Connecticut – all controlled substances.
• Delaware – all prescriptions.
• Florida – all prescriptions.
• Iowa – all prescriptions. 
• Kansas – controlled substances that contain opiates. 
• Kentucky – all controlled substances. 
• Maine – all controlled substances that contain opiates.
• Massachusetts – all controlled substances. 
• Minnesota – all prescriptions. 
• Missouri – all controlled substances. 
• Nevada – all controlled substances.
• New Mexico – all controlled substances. 
• New York – all prescriptions. 
• North Carolina – schedule II and III substances. 
• Oklahoma – schedule II-V controlled substances.
• Pennsylvania – schedule II-V controlled substances.
• Rhode Island – all controlled substances.
• South Carolina – all controlled substances.
• Tennessee – all controlled substances.
• Texas – all controlled substances. 
• Washington – all controlled substances.
• Wyoming – all controlled substances.  

While these are the states that have laws in place, there are also eight states with future laws in development and three more with pending legislation. There are still 14 U.S. states with no eRx laws in place. Even so, ePrescribe mandates are the future.

There will be a point in time when every provider is required to send prescriptions electronically, but that is not a bad thing. E-Prescribe software can help you grow your behavioral health practice and better help your patients. 

Benefits of eRx Software:

While mandates might sound intimidating or frustrating, especially if you are happy with the way you currently do things, there are actually a wealth of benefits associated with e-Prescribe software. A quality eRx tool can increase efficiency, improve accuracy, improve clinical outcomes, and so much more. Benefits include: 

Improved Prescription Workflow

A digital tool like this enables behavioral health providers to manage medications better, write prescriptions, and handle refills from inside their digital accounts. They can quickly write scripts for controlled substances with a multi-factor authentication process. Not only this, but behavioral health providers can quickly review their client’s medication history with 12-months of recent prescription available at a glance. 

Increase Medication Adherence 

An eRx software can help improve medication compliance by showing actual out-of-pocket costs using formulary checks. 

Reduce Errors:

Errors in the prescribing process can cause many issues for clients. Difficult to read handwriting on paper prescriptions can lead to dangerous errors down the line. The electronic prescribing process reduces medication errors and increases treatment compliance to improve clinical outcomes. 

Automated Tools:

Details like PDMP checks take time. eRx software with an integrated PDMP tool introduces automation into the prescribing process so that behavioral health providers can spend more time with clients and less time on repetitive administrative tasks. 

The benefits of a quality e-Prescribe software expand far past this shortlist. TheraNest has the eRx features you need all wrapped into one while offering compliance with state regulations every time you write a prescription. 

Sources: 

American Psychiatric Association. (2021). e-Prescribing (eRx). American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/practice-management/health-information-technology/e-prescribing

MDToolbox. (2021). E-Prescribing State Laws. MDToolbox. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://mdtoolbox.com/eprescribe-map.aspx?