On March 13, 2015, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to postpone a New York State mandate to electronically prescribe all medications, including controlled substances, until March 27, 2016. An electronic prescription is one created, recorded or stored by electronic means; issued and validated with an electronic signature; and transmitted by electronic means directly from the prescriber to a pharmacy.
Prescriptions generated on an electronic system and printed to the Official New York State Prescription Form or faxed are NOT electronic prescriptions.
Despite the delay of the mandate until 2016, Kaleida Health will begin electronic prescribing of controlled substances on March 23, 2015. By moving forward, Kaleida Health will improve patient safety and satisfaction, assuring legibility of prescriptions and making prescription pick up faster and easier for patients. In addition, electronic prescribing of controlled substances creates a more efficient workflow for providers in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
In order to electronically prescribe a controlled substance, providers must use two-factor authentication. In addition to a password, providers will also need to enter a unique, one-time use passcode for each prescription.
Providers will need to perform the following to obtain their two-factor authentication code and register the Kaleida Health software:
Providers who practice at the DeGraff Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility, HighPointe on Michigan, Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Dental Clinic, Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Psychiatry Clinic, or any Kaleida Health clinics not yet on the EMR will not use the DIGIPASS application. If you provide service at any of these locations, you will receive a separate communication from IST.
Providers who electronically prescribe controlled substances will receive a monthly EPCS Activity Report of the controlled substances they prescribed for that month in their Message Center Inbox. Providers are required to report any suspicious or fraudulent activity on the report to Kaleida Health Compliance Department at 859-8559.
The following resources provide additional information and instructions for electronic prescribing:
Kaleida Health is in the process of developing an electronic prescribing policy that will be available in the coming weeks.