THIS IS A JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE OREGON MEDICAL BOARD AND THE OREGON BOARD OF PHARMACY REGARDING ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTIONS FOR CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.The mission of the Oregon Medical Board is to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of Oregon citizens by regulating the practice of medicine in a manner that promotes access to quality care.
The mission of the Oregon Board of Pharmacy is to promote, preserve and protect the public health, safety and welfare by ensuring high standards in the practice of pharmacy and by regulating the quality, manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs.
The DEA allows Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances.1 However, prescribers are not required to transmit controlled substances electronically, and pharmacies are not required to accept electronic prescriptions for controlled substances.
- Paper prescriptions for schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances are still permissible.
- Telephone authorization for schedule III, IV, and V controlled substances are still valid.
In Oregon, electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (including schedule II) are permitted only when both of the following criteria2 are met:
- The prescriber’s software has been authenticated by a DEA-approved certifying organization;3 and
- The pharmacy’s software has been authenticated by a DEA-approved certifying organization.
Note: Not all prescribers or pharmacies have approved systems. Prescribers and pharmacies should understand the capabilities and limitations of their current software.
Prescribers must:- Have a certification report for the Electronic Health Records (EHR) or electronic prescription application to verify compliance with the DEA rule.
- Obtain credentials to electronically sign controlled substance prescriptions. The prescriber may need to contact the EHR or application provider to determine how to obtain these credentials.
- Restrict access so that only authorized individuals may sign controlled substance prescriptions.
Pharmacies must:
- Have a certification report for the electronic prescription application to verify compliance with the DEA rule. Note: The pharmacy’s certification report may be filed at a central location, such as a corporate office.
- Maintain original prescription records in the same physical manner as received per OAR 855-041-1160(a). Therefore, prescriptions received electronically must be maintained electronically.
The Oregon Medical Board and the Oregon Board of Pharmacy recognize that this is complex with many detailed requirements. We understand that all licensees and health care systems are working to better understand these regulations. We encourage prescribers and pharmacists to maintain open communication with one another and their patients to ensure the best care possible. Please direct questions to the software providers or review the information available on the DEA website.