As anticipated, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed the deadline for e-prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) for Medicare Part D beneficiaries for one year. The new deadline for EPCS January 1, 2022.
This delay was initially proposed in the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and recently finalized in the PFS final rule. EPCS is a statutory requirement under the SUPPORT Act Opioid Abuse legislation. As such, CMS must mandate EPCS at some point. NextGen Healthcare recommends that all clients who prescribe controlled substances for Medicare Part D beneficiaries take steps to ensure EPCS is implemented prior to the new deadline of 1/1/2022.
To help with EPCS setup, below are several Success Community resources:
- EPCS Vendor Guide
- eLearning – 5.9 ePrescribing -EPCS Setup
- Quick guide – How to enroll a provider for EPCS
If additional EPCS setup assistance is needed, please reach out to your Account Manager.