PCMA Supports E-Prescribing Legislation to Combat Opioid Crisis

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) released the following statement on the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee's consideration of H.R. 3528 / S. 2460 the Every Prescription Conveyed Securely Act, which requires electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) for controlled substances in Medicare Part D. 

"E-prescribing helps ensure each prescription is written by a legitimate provider and filled at a legitimate pharmacy. This bill is an important solution that attacks the opioid epidemic by preventing doctor shopping and drugstore and reducing costs inflicted on patients and taxpayers."

A new study by Health IT Now's Opioid Safety Alliance finds H.R. 3528 would reduce federal spending $13 billion over 10 years. This is consistent with a separate study by Visante and Point-of-Care Partners that finds mandatory e-prescribing of controlled substances in Medicare would save the federal government more than $2 billion annually – due to decreased treatment costs and greater efficiencies in physician offices and pharmacies, among other factors.  

A broad coalition supports passage of H.R. 3528, including:

• Pharmaceutical Care Management Association
• CVS Health
• Express Scripts
• Magellan Health
• Prime Therapeutics
• Albertsons Companies
• America's Health Insurance Plans
• AmerisourceBergen
• Association for Accessible Medicines
• College of Healthcare Information Management Executives
• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
• Health IT Now
• Imprivata
• National Coalition on Health Care
• National Consumers League
• National Association of Chain Drug Stores
• National Community Pharmacists Association
• Rite Aid
• Surescripts
• Walgreens

PCMA is the national association representing America's pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs administer prescription drug plans for more than 266 million Americans who have health insurance from a variety of sponsors including: commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, union plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), state government employee plans, Medicaid plans, and others.

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Care Management Association