Update March 11: New official prescription forms for certain controlled substances could take longer than two months to receive, state health officials say.
"Due to the increased number of orders received, the processing time to receive the prescription forms may exceed six to eight weeks," the Texas State Board of Pharmacy said on its website.
Original Story:
If you are not e-prescribing controlled substances (EPCS), you can still use official C-II prescription forms in Texas. But be aware that on Sept. 1, 2018, the official paper forms began including additional security features to prevent fraud.
Effective June 1, 2019, ALL official prescription forms ordered prior to Sept. 1, 2018, will no longer be valid.
Order prescription forms early to avoid running out.
Texas Medical Association staff have been in contact with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP), which is fulfilling orders as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume of orders, new forms are currently taking about four to six weeks to be delivered.
To ensure you’re not missing a communication with TSBP regarding your prescription order, be sure to enclose a copy of your Texas Driver’s License with an order form, and check your spam e-mail box.
All C-II prescription forms must be ordered through TSBP. See their FAQs on prescription pad orders.
If you anticipate running out of prescription forms before your new ones are delivered, check with your electronic health record (EHR) vendor to see if it can set you up with EPCS. Sometimes the EPCS functionality can be set up within a day (depending on the vendor).
If you don't have an EHR vendor, search for a standalone e-prescribing software, which can assist you with EPCS setup.
Through RxSecurity, TMA members can receive 15 percent off of tamper-resistant prescription pads and forms for schedule III, IV, and V controlled substances, as well as noncontrolled substances.
For more information, contact TMA's HIT Department at (800) 880-5720, by email, or visit TMA’s online prescribing resource center.