The ONC Doctors’ Perspective: Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) Is on the Ri…

According to new findings, the percent of clinicians who electronically prescribe controlled substances (EPCS) has increased. Despite this increase, overall EPCS rates remain low. The use of EPCS technology can help healthcare providers directly integrate opioid prescription information into electronic health records (EHRs), which can enhance patient safety and help deter diversion and fraud. ECPS technology can also streamline clinician workflow and reduce patient burden.

The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, enacted in 2018, requires Medicare Part D prescriptions of opioids and other controlled drugs be prescribed electronically beginning 2021. New data show that use of EPCS technology is on the rise, but varies across clinician characteristics. In 2017, over 80 percent of office-based physicians prescribed controlled substances. Understanding differences in clinicians’ use of EPCS technology is critical to identifying ways to address barriers to use such as costs and security requirements.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) took two approaches to measure the current use of EPCS technology among the nation’s clinicians. First, ONC worked with Surescripts, the electronic prescribing network, to identify Medicare Part D prescribers who EPCS on the Surescripts Network in 2015 and 2016. Second, through the 2017 National Electronic Health Record Survey (NEHRS), fielded by the National Center for Health Statistics, we asked office-based physicians if they prescribe controlled substances and, if so, if they do so electronically.