[1] In 2010, DEA regulations were modified which lifted previous restrictions against the use of electronic prescribing for controlled substances that have presented a major obstacle to e-prescribing proliferation.
[1] These regulations ensure an adequate supply of controlled substances for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial purposes.
Part of CSA mandate included that some records must be created and kept on forms that DEA provides and that many controlled substance prescriptions must be manually signed.
On April 1, 2005, after extensive consultation with the regulated community, DEA published a final rule that allowed the electronic creation, signature, transmission, and retention of records of orders for Schedule I and Schedule II controlled substances, orders that prior to that time had to be created on preprinted forms that DEA issued.
[1] At the same time, DEA began to examine how to revise its rules to allow electronic prescriptions for controlled substances.
[1] The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopted a rule on the transmission standard for electronic prescriptions in November 2005 (revised in June 2006).
The standard focuses on the format of the transmitted information, not the process of creating the prescription or maintaining the record at the pharmacy.
The responsibility for establishing regulatory safeguards against diversion of controlled substances falls upon DEA as the agency charged with administering and enforcing the CSA.
The new method of dispensing allows pharmacists to submit an accurate electronic request for a renewal, decreasing the burden of phone calls on medical office staff.
[6] In April 2011 the American Medical Association and four partner organizations issued an updated version of "A Clinician's Guide to Electronic Prescribing."
The organizations said the guide reflects changes in the health care environment including the DEA's rule allowing electronic prescribing of controlled substances.