EHNAC Launches Revised Certification Program for ePrescribing of Controlled Substances

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a nonprofit standards development organization and accrediting body for organizations that electronically exchange health care data, recently announced significant revisions to its Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) approved Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances Certification Program (EPCSCP). Effective immediately, EPCSCP candidates and those renewing their certification will have access to a streamlined and more cost-effective program including refocused criteria, the elimination of physical site visits, and reduced fees in many cases.

"The industry has given us valuable feedback on this important accreditation program which is crucial in ensuring ePrescribing systems that support controlled substances adhere to the highest standards to ensure DEA-mandated requirements are met," says Debra Hopkinson, operations vice president of EHNAC. "In response to hearing what current customers and industry stakeholders had to say, EHNAC has made significant changes to the program to make certification a more straightforward and cost-effective process. We have replaced site visits with remote reviews, streamlined the criteria to focus on DEA requirements, and have included an initial hour of program review and training. Additionally, certified organizations can renew on a biennial basis, without paying an annual fee."

EHNAC offers two certification programs for vendors handling ePrescribing of controlled substances—PCSCP-Pharmacy and EPCSCP-Prescription. The programs evaluate pharmacy and prescribing applications supporting electronic prescription of controlled substances and are designed to demonstrate that vendors and their applications meet detailed DEA regulations as well as certain other EHNAC core criteria. Visit www.ehnac.org for more details or to review the latest EHNAC criteria.

Source: Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission