How EPCS Keeps Practices and Patients Safe

For over a decade now, increasing numbers of states have been requiring prescribers to switch to electronic prescribing, most often for controlled substances (EPCS). Even without impending state mandates, adoption of EPCS continues to grow among prescribers who discover its inherent benefits for patient and practice safety, along with improved clinical workflow. While the ongoing digital transformation of healthcare continues, prescribing has often lagged behind with reliance on paper, fax and phoned prescriptions. However, improvements in EPCS software and its functionality has led to marked growth in adoption.

In part, those increases can be attributed to a greater understanding of how EPCS can help improve the prescription process, keeping both patients and practices safe from prescription challenges and risks.

Quick Links

• What is EPCS?
• The Rise of State Mandates for EPCS
• How EPCS Keeps Patients Safe
• How EPCS Protects Your Pratice

What is EPCS?

EPCS stands for electronic prescriptions for controlled substances and refers to the digital generation and transmission of prescriptions for controlled substances.

In 2010, the federal drug enforcement agency (DEA) determined it was in the best interest of all parties to enable doctors and providers to write electronic prescriptions for controlled substances and pharmacists to receive, fill, and archive those prescriptions.

The Rise of State Mandates for EPCS

The aim of EPCS was to improve prescribing efficiency, accuracy, and security of the prescriptions process, particularly for medications with a potential for abuse or dependence. EPCS plays a crucial role in combating prescription drug abuse by preventing unauthorized access and prescription forgery.

Additionally, the tracking methods and history provided in many states' prescription drug monitoring programs allows prescribers and pharmacists to see prescription history which prevents both overprescribing and the “doctor shopping” that occurred much more frequently prior to the EPCS mandates and prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs).

While the federal government has yet to mandate ePrescribing for controlled substances, as of January 1, 2023 all Medicare Advantage and Part D prescriptions must be transmitted electronically.

Even without a federal mandate, many states have started instituting their own EPCS mandates, starting in 2011, when Minnesota became the first state to require it. Since then more than 35 other states have also implemented mandates or have them pending.

EPCS mandates are also fairly closely tied, as mentioned, to prescription drug monitoring programs which are now being used in all 50 states. One of the goals of ePrescribing is to make the process of both prescribing and dispensing medications more accurate, safer, and efficient. So, when the two tasks are connected through the right ePrescribing software, it can make this process even easier.

Over the past few years, since 2021, research suggests that 71% of physician prescribers used EPCS with 62% reporting more frequent use of EPCS “often” this marks a big jump from the 37% who reported using EPCS in 2019.

Similarly, the same research demonstrates the more widespread use of PDMPs. In fact, 78% of physician prescribers stated that they checked their state’s PDMP before prescribing a controlled substance to a patient for the first time.

These increased adoption numbers, and particularly the growth rate, suggest more and more prescribers are beginning to understand how EPCS and PDMPs can keep both patients and practices safe.

How EPCS Keeps Patients Safe

One of the biggest benefits of EPCS is the role in enhancing both patient care and safety. Replacing traditional paper prescriptions ensures a more secure and streamlined process for prescribing and dispensing medications, particularly controlled substances.

One of the key ways EPCS contributes to patient safety is by reducing the risk of prescription forgery and fraud. Paper prescriptions can be altered or replicated, leading to potentially harmful consequences for patients. With EPCS, the electronic transmission of prescriptions the prescribing doctor must be authenticated, and the prescriptions are encrypted and tamper-resistant, significantly reducing the likelihood of unauthorized modifications.

Similarly, paper prescriptions can be lost by patients impacting their medication adherence. Both of these issues can significantly impact patient satisfaction and care outcomes.

In addition to preventing paper prescription issues, EPCS helps prevent prescription errors and improves accuracy. In fact, illegible or confusing paper prescriptions are among the ten most common prescription errors. Not only does EPCS ensure the correct dosage and medication information is received by the dispensing pharmacy, but it also offers drug interaction alerts and dosage checks, helping healthcare providers make informed decisions about prescription choices.

More specifically, built-in alerts notify prescribers of potential risks, allergies, or contraindications allowing them to adjust prescriptions in real-time to avoid adverse reactions or complications. This level of decision support is a crucial component of patient safety, as it helps to minimize the likelihood of medication errors that could otherwise result from oversight or lack of information. 

EPCS also contributes to patient safety by promoting better communication among healthcare providers. Electronic prescribing systems allow for seamless sharing of prescription information between different healthcare providers and members of a patient’s care team. EPCS ensures that both healthcare providers and pharmacists have access to the most up-to-date medication information, reducing the chances of overprescribing or adverse drug events.

EPCS can, essentially, help mitigate the risks associated with prescription forgery, medication errors, and miscommunications among healthcare providers, all of which contribute to improved patient care and safety.

How EPCS Protects Your Practice

Keeping your patients safe is often goal number one, but what about your practice? Of course the added benefit of improved patient safety is that it also helps protect your practice by enhancing the security and integrity of the prescription process.

One of the primary ways EPCS protects a healthcare practice is by preventing prescription fraud. Among the most common acts of fraud is prescription forgery or alteration. Through the use of multi-layered authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access and prescription forging.

As noted above, EPCS also enhances prescription accuracy and reduces the potential for errors. Because electronic prescriptions are automatically cross-referenced with patient records and drug databases, healthcare providers can minimize the risk of dosage mistakes, drug interactions, or other errors that could compromise patient safety.

The system also provides real-time access to a patient's prescription history, enabling healthcare providers to make informed decisions about whether a prescribed controlled substance is appropriate for their patient. In short, all necessary decision making information is at one’s fingertips streamlining the prescription process and improving safety.

These safeguards can help protect your practice from malpractice lawsuits associated with prescription errors that result in harm, injury, or worse to a patient in your care. In fact, prescribers who fail to note drug interactions, potential side effects, or inappropriate doses may also be liable for harm caused to patients. EPCS can help prevent these issues.

Another critical role of EPCS is combating prescription drug abuse and illegal distribution of controlled substances. More specifically, ePrescribing systems create an auditable trail of patient prescriptions, making it easier to track and investigate suspicious activities. Not only does this help prescribers prevent illegal sales or distribution of controlled substances but it also assists law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting individuals engaged in prescription fraud.

Much like prescription errors, healthcare providers who overprescribe controlled substances and medications may also be found liable for malpractice and face fines, jail time, and possibly more. EPCS, especially with direct connectivity to prescription drug monitoring programs, can significantly reduce the likelihood of prescribing to a patient who may be distributing or misusing prescriptions.

EPCS has the potential to keep your practice and your patients safe. While many states already mandate the practice, it doesn’t take a mandate for you to put safeguards in place. Plus, the added efficiency and accuracy benefits of an ePrescribing solution, especially one that lets you work on the fly via mobile devices, can improve your practice efficiency and help you deliver the care your patients need and deserve.

If you’re ready to ditch the pen and paper (or printouts), book an iCoreRx demo with the iCoreConnect team. While efficiency is one of our primary goals, our solutions help provide safety, security, and accuracy and that’s what keeps over 100 state associations endorsing our products and platform.