Health care providers wishing to electronically prescribe controlled substance should begin reviewing and updating their practices and technology to comply with requirements of the Interim Final Regulations scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on March 31, 2010. Read details at http://wp.me/ptOGJ-94

An advance copy of the new Interim Final Regulation with Request for Comments released March 24, 2010 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Justice on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substance on is posted for review here.

Concurrent with publication of the Interim Final Rule, the DEA is inviting comment on DEA is seeking additional comments on the following issues: identity proofing, access control, authentication, biometric subsystems and testing of those subsystems, internal audit trails for electronic prescription applications, and third-party auditors and certification organizations.

About The Author

If you need assistance with health industry human resources or other management, concerns, wish to inquire about compliance, risk management or training, or need legal representation on other matters please contact Cynthia Marcotte Stamer at cstamer@solutionslawyer.net or (469) 767-8872. 

Nationally and internationally recognized for more than 22 years of work with health industry technology,  privacy and data security, regulatory compliance, reimbursement, workforce and staffing, licensure and accreditation, and other quality, risk management, operations and public policy matters organizations, publications, workshops and presentations and leadership Cynthia Marcotte Stamer has worked extensively with physicians, health systems, specialty and other pharmacy, telemedicine and other health technology, and other health industry clients on a diverse range of operational, product and process development, regulatory, licensure, public policy and risk management protections relating to e-prescribing, telemedicine, interoperable and other electronic health and medicine arrangements and other health care internal controls, process and privacy and technology matters. The publisher of the Solutions Law Press Health Care Update, and Solutions Law Press Health Care Privacy & Technology Update, Ms. Stamer also is a popular speaker and author of these and other health industry topics.  She regularly publishes, speaks and conducts training for health industry and other organizations, the ABA, American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA), Health Care Compliance Association, Institute of Internal Auditors, various medical society and other professional organizations, the Medical Group Management Association, and many other organizations.  Her many publications and programs include“Changing Regulations Will Ease Way for E-Prescribing, But Physicians Shouldn’t Jump the Gun,” “Telemedicine, E-Prescribing & Electronic Health Records: Opportunities & Exposures,” “Telemedicine & E-Prescribing: Evolving Ethical, Licensing & Reimbursement Rules & Realities,” the “Tort & Other Liability” Chapter of the ABA Health Law Section/BNA E-Health & Technology Treatise, “Protecting & Using Patient Data in Disease Management Opportunities, Liabilities and Prescriptions,” Chapter 1: Privacy.” The Quest for Interoperable Electronic Health Records: A Guide to Legal Issues in Establishing Health Information Networks (AHLA 2005) (Contributing Author), “Cybercrime and Identity Theft: Health Information Security beyond HIPAA,” “Privacy & Securities Standards-A Brief Nutshell” and numerous other programs and publications on telemedicine and e-prescribing, HIPAA and other privacy and data security, and other related internal controls and operational matters.   Publishers of her many highly regarded writings on health industry and human resources matters include the Bureau of National Affairs, Aspen Publishers, ABA, AHLA, Spencer Publications, World At Work, SHRM, Business Insurance, James Publishing and many others.  You can review other highlights of Ms. Stamer’s health care experience here, and employment experience here.  Her insights on these and other matters appear in Managed Care Executive, Modern Health Care, the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Business Journal, the Houston Business Journal, MDNews, Kentucky Physician, and many other national and local publications.

Other Resources

If you found this information of interest, you also may be interested in reviewing other updates and publications by Ms. Stamer including:

• Joint Commission Revises Medical Staff Bylaw Standard
• TSHHRAE Provides Health Industry Managers Employment Law Update & Other Timely Management Training At April Barnstorm 2010: Creating Effective Leaders Programs
• House Could Vote On Health Care Reform As Early As Sunday
• Medicare Ends Fox Insurance Company Drug Plan Contract As CMS Turns Up Heat on Medicare Advantage & Part D Plan Enforcement & Oversight
• Southern States Collect Largest Share of $162 Million AARA Fund Meaningful Use Development Grants
• Stamer To Discuss “Health Care Reform’s Implications For Employers, Health Plans & Employee Benefits Practitioners” At May 5 Dallas Bar Association Meeting
• HRO Invites Comments On Project To Develop & Test Hospital Toolkit Intended To Guide Hospitals In Using AHRQ Quality Indicators  
• NLRB Orders Union Elections In 31 California Health Care Facilities To Proceed
• IRS To Allow Medical Resident FICA Refund Claims
• HIPAA Heats Up: HITECH Act Changes Take Effect & OCR Begins Posting Names, Other Details Of Unsecured PHI Breach Reports On Website
• HHS Delays 2010 HHS Federal Poverty Rate Update To March 1, 2010
• Rising Enforcement and Changing Rules Require Prompt Review & Update of Health Plan Privacy & Data Security Policies & Procedures
• Retaliation For Filing HIPAA Complaint Recognized As Basis For State Retaliatory Discharge Claim
• Quest Diagnostics Inc. To Pay $688,000 In Overtime Back Wages Settlement After Misclassifying Systems Employees As Exempt
• Homecare Workers Exempt From FLSA
• Stamer Speaks To Chiefs of Staff About JCAHO Physician Performance Evaluation Requirements
• Pfizer To Pay $2.3 Billion For Fraudulent Marketing In Largest DOJ Health Care Fraud Settlement
• Maximum Penalty For Patient Protection Act Confidentiality Breaches To Rise To $11,000
• HHS Delays 2010 HHS Federal Poverty Rate Update To March 1, 2010
• OIG Special Fraud Alert Targets DME Telemarketing
• Federal HEAT & Other Federal Health Care Fraud Efforts Score More Than 15 Successes As OIG Claims $20.97 Billion Saved From Enforcement Activities In December
• HEAT Initiative Snares Health Fraud Related Guilty Pleas of Physical Therapist, Money Launderer and Patient Recruiter In Detroit
• Medicare Paid Physicians More Than $92 Million in Incentives for 2008 Under the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
• Renal Dialysis Faculties Encouraged to Review Current Protocols for Administering Erthropoiesis-Stimulating Agents
• CMS Publishes Updated FY 2010 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System Final Rule
• SouthWest Benefits e-Connections Highlights Stamer Article About Importance For Health Plans, Their Sponsors & Business Associates To Update HIPAA Policies, Practices & Agreements
• Health Plan Liability Heats Up As Plans & Businesses Face New Obligations, Costs & Exposures under New HIPAA Privacy Rules Effective 2/17 & Other Expanding Federal Health Plan Mandates
• Employers, Group Health Plans Subject To New CHIP/Medicaid Notice, Coordination of Benefits & Special Enrollment Requirements
• Health Plans & Business Associates Face 2/17 Deadline To Update Policies, Contracts & Procedures For HIPAA Privacy Rule Changes
• St. Louis Employer’s OSHA Violations Trigger Contempt Order and Penalties
• Labor Department Final H-2A Certification Procedures Tighten Requirements For Employment Of Temporary Agricultural Employment Of Workers
• COBRA, HIPAA, GINA, Mental Health Parity or Other Group Health Plan Rule Violations Trigger New Excise Tax Self-Assessment & Reporting Obligations

For More Information

We hope that this information is useful to you.  If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information – including your preferred e-mail – by creating or updating your profile at here or e-mailing this information here. To unsubscribe, e-mail here.

©2010 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer.  All rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 25th, 2010 at 3:44 pm and is filed under Centers For Disease Control, Controlled Substances, Corporate Compliance, DEA, Doctor, E-Prescribing, Electronic Health Records, Electronic Medical Records, false claims act, FDA, Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Health Care, Health Care Finance, Health Care Fraud, Health Care Provider, Health Care Quality, Health Care Reform, Health IT, HIPAA, HITECH Act, Hospital, Licensing, Meaningful Use, Medicaid, Medical Licensure, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Drug Program, Pharmacy, Physician, Physician Licensing, Prescription Drugs, Privacy, Reimbursement, Telemedicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.