Government
CMS delays part of Medicaid Rx rule
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 5, 2007
Only the first phase of a rule requiring tamper-resistant pads for written Medicaid prescriptions will be delayed six months, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
A provision in a military spending bill adopted in May requires physicians and pharmacists to use tamper-resistant pads with one security feature for all written prescriptions by Oct. 1 and three security features on Oct. 1, 2008. Physician groups, including the AMA, concerned about disruptions to patient care and their practices, prodded Congress and President Bush to delay the rule's implementation. The government issued a six-month postponement in late September. But although physicians and pharmacists won't be required to use prescription pads with one security feature until April 1, 2008, they will still need to use pads with three security features beginning Oct. 1, 2008.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/11/05/gvbf1105.htm.
