Passed In the 2019 legislative session, SB19-079 mandates that schedule II, III, or IV controlled substances only be prescribed electronically effective July 1, 2021 for physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, optometrists and podiatrists. Prescribing practitioners are required to indicate on license renewal questionnaires whether they have complied with the electronic prescribing requirement.
Earlier this year, the Colorado Board of Medicine adopted Rule 160 which specifies and defines qualified exceptions to the electronic prescription requirement which include “temporary technological failure”, “temporary electrical failure” and “economic hardship”. The process to demonstrate economic hardship, which will be determined by the Board, is also outlined.
Pharmacists do not need to verify the applicability of an exception to electronic prescribing when they receive an order for a controlled substance in writing, orally, or via facsimile transmission and may fill the order if otherwise valid under the law.
*For practices that do not have e-prescribing integrated with an electronic medical record, some members suggested a free app called iPrescribe which allows physicians to submit their prescriptions securely and quickly. The verification and set up process reportedly takes a bit of time but once that is in place, functionality and tech support are easy to master. More information can be found at https://www.iPrescribe.com.