E-Prescribing and Physician Assistants
Legal in 48 states, e-prescribing is a herald that medicine is continually evolving. Your state approval is one of many milestones required to achieve electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). Pharmacies and EHR (electronic heath record) software companies are fully aware of the challenges they must overcome to meet the requirements of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Interim Final Rule (IFR). When each of these aforementioned systems receives a DEA audit, a company named Surescripts certifies and connects the pharmacy with the prescriber application through a national health information network. This allows a provider to review prescription history, to send off non-controlled medications electronically to a patient's pharmacy, and many other quick and easy functions all through their very own EHR! |
| Fig 1. Surescripts logo. |
From Ethics and Professionalism: A Guide for the Physician Assistant, authors Blessing and Cassidy describe prescribing and dispensing capabilities of a Texas PA: A PA is allowed to prescribe or sign a prescription drug order if given the order to do so under a licensed physician. A PA in Texas has authority to prescribe Schedules III-V and non-controlled medications (sometimes referred to as legend drugs). If a PA wishes to prescribe controlled medications, they must register with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and DPS (Department of Public Safety). Unfortunately, organizations like TAPA (Texas Academy of Physician Assistants) must continue fighting for our rights to prescribe medications of all classes, including Schedule II.
