It has been confirmed with the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy that a Final Rule went into effect on Tuesday, January 20th, 2015, which requires a handwritten signature on all paper or faxed prescriptions. Here are a few facts about this rule that you should know:
- This rule does not affect e-Prescribing. The e-Prescribe process will not change. In fact, this rule is just another reason you should e-Prescribe whenever possible.
- This rule means that the provider will need to physically sign any prescription printed from your EHR. They can do so next to their digital signature printed on the prescription.
- If you need to fax a prescription, you will first need to print the prescription and have the provider manually sign it before faxing it to the pharmacy. Faxing it directly from the Medication module (using the fax server) will only include a digital signature, which (per the Final Rule) is no longer acceptable.
- I’ve attached a copy of the Final Rule and highlighted the portions related to written and faxed prescriptions (page 2).
Please keep in mind that this is a rule from the State Board; questions and concerns should be directed to the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. Find out more here: https://practicemax.com/press/