Important changes are coming to Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) and National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) SCRIPT Standard, Version 2017071 in the upcoming months. Clients on older versions of NextGen® Enterprise are at risk of losing important functionality associated with both.
Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS)
EPCS certification is required every two years. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) specifies the conditions under which controlled substance prescriptions may be issued electronically. Before any electronic prescription or pharmacy application may be used to transmit prescriptions, a third party must audit the application for compliance with the requirements of 21 CFR part 1311, or a certifying organization whose certification process has been approved by DEA must verify and certify that the application meets the requirements of 21 CFR part 1311.
NextGen Healthcare’s current EPCS certification will expire on April 30, 2021 and we’re actively engaged in the recertification process. We expect to have our recertification completed before our current certification expires for most versions of NextGen Enterprise.
- Only NextGen® Enterprise 5.8.x up to our current version, as well as our upcoming release, are being recertified.
- Please consider the impact of these changes to your practice and review ECPS and NCPDP Functionality Notice on the Success Community for NextGen Enterprise version-specific guidance.
National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) SCRIPT Standard, Version 2017071
The NCPDP SCRIPT Standard, Version 2017071 is the electronic prescribing standard created to facilitate the transfer of prescription data between pharmacies, prescribers, intermediaries, facilities, and payers. Recent NCPDP SCRIPT Implementation Recommendations to the new NCPDP 2017071 SCRIPT Standard, Version 2017071 has resulted in significant changes to the medication history transaction process..
- To retain medication history functionality, you MUST be on a version of NextGen Enterprise that is compatible with NCPDP 2017071 SCRIPT Standard, Version 2017071
- Please consider the impact of these changes to your practice and review ECPS and NCPDP Functionality Notice on the Success Community for NextGen Enterprise version-specific guidance.
Plan your upgrade today
In a few months, NextGen Healthcare will release NextGen® Enterprise Spring’21 (v6.2021.1), an important upgrade to our award-winning EHR/PM platform. Our targeted version for 2015 Edition Cures Update certification, Spring ’21 delivers the agility, visibility, and adaptability your practice needs to meet the healthcare complexities of today and tomorrow. See what’s new in Spring ’21.
Contact your Account Manager if you have questions and assistance to map out your upgrade timeline.