The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) previously
said prescriptions printed from electronic medical records (EMRs)
or e-prescribing applications would need special copy-resistant
paper to comply with the tamper-resistant prescription pad
regulation that takes effect Oct. 1.
CMS now says such prescriptions may be printed on plain paper.
For prescriptions to be considered tamper-resistant by CMS, the
federal law specifies that the pad must meet
all
of the following characteristics by Oct. 1:
-
Prevent unauthorized copying of completed or blank
prescription forms,
-
Prevent erasure or modification of information written on
the prescription form, and
-
Prevent the use of counterfeit prescription forms.
CMS has identified at least two features that can be
incorporated into computer-generated prescriptions printed on plain
paper to prevent passing a copied prescription as an original
prescription. One feature would be the use of a very
small font that is readable when viewed at 5x magnification or
greater and illegible when copied. Another feature would be a
"void" pantograph accompanied by a reverse "Rx," which causes a
word such as "Void" to appear when the prescription is
photocopied.
The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs has
developed guidance and examples of best practices and examples of
tamper-resistant prescriptions (handwritten and EMR generated).
The Texas Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pad was
recently revised
[
PDF
] after CMS issued its clarification.
Action
, Sept. 15, 2008
Last Updated On
June 16, 2010
Originally Published On
March 23, 2010