[Infographic] Practitioners – Are You EPCS-Compliant?

Last updated: 16 May 2016

This post originally appeared on SafeNet’s The Art of Data Protection blog – now part of the Gemalto Digital Security blog.

To comply with the DEA’s Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) regulation, medical practitioners need to re-authenticate to their EHR system using two-factor authentication whenever they issue Rx’s for medical narcotics in digital format.

With state deadlines quickly approaching, SafeNet lets hospitals and healthcare organizations implement EPCS easily, without changing their current infrastructure.

What is EPCS? And how, when and why should you comply? Check out our below infographic for the answers.

Two-Factor Authentication for EPCS Compliance

Key Points/Stats from this Infographic:

  • 1 Billion eRx’s are issued in the US annually. Controlled substances, meaning medical narcotics such as morphine, codeine, etc. account for 130 Million of them.
  • What is EPCS? Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) is a regulation issued by the DEA, requiring medical practitioners to re-authenticate to their EHR system using two-factor authentication, each time they issue an eRx for a controlled substance.
  • Who needs to comply with EPCS? Compliance is required of medical practitioners who issue eRx’s for controlled substances.
  • When is EPCS compliance due? State deadlines vary, with some mandating compliance by year end 2015. To qualify for financial incentives, organizations can also leverage EPCS to more easily demonstrate State 2 Meaningful Use.
  • How do you choose a 2FA solution for gaining EPCS compliance? Seek a solution that offers FIPS-validated tokens, quick deployment and low day-to-day operational overhead, while allowing you to keep within budget and evolve your IT ecosystem over time.

Read our White Paper to Learn More: How to Become EPCS Compliant with SafeNet Authentication or go to our EPCS Compliance webpage.

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