CMS (Medicare) will retire exemption permitting electronic prescriptions sent by fax in 2009

This will have a major impact on the industry for all involved. Pharmacies stand to save $1 to $2 by having prescriptions submitted directly via network like SureScripts using the NCPDP standards. Software vendors should see a boost in sales. Of course, the ball is now in their court to make sure their products are up to the task. Physicians will have to modify their workflow to include e-Prescribing. Fortunately there are free solutions like NEPSI and MCO sponsored initiatives that should absorb the cost of software and hardware. Perhaps some PBMs will even share in the savings with the physician community. Patient safety and convenience will improve also.
For the non-speed readers, the important pages are 394 and 401. SV

CMS Ruling