e-Prescribing (eRx)
e-Prescribing (eRx) is the electronic transmission of a prescription from the prescriber’s system directly to a pharmacy, replacing paper and fax with a structured, verifiable digital order.
How e-prescribing works
When a clinician signs a prescription electronically, the order travels as a structured message (the NCPDP SCRIPT standard) across a national e-prescribing network to the dispensing pharmacy’s system. The message carries patient, prescriber, drug, sig, and quantity data; renewals, change requests, and cancellations flow back across the same rails. Controlled substances ride the same network but under the stricter EPCS requirements.
For a telehealth program, eRx is the moment clinical review becomes fulfillment: the signed prescription routes to a partner pharmacy licensed for the patient’s state, and everything downstream — fill, ship, tracking — hangs off that order.
Why eRx matters for program quality
Beyond speed, e-prescribing adds safety and auditability: drug-interaction and allergy checks at the point of prescribing, formulary and benefit visibility, an unambiguous audit trail of who prescribed what and when, and elimination of transcription errors. Many states now mandate e-prescribing broadly, not just for controlled substances.
Compliance handled, so you can build
Lithos runs the clinicians, pharmacies, and 50-state rules behind your care program — one API.
Frequently asked questions
Is e-prescribing required by law?
Increasingly yes — many states mandate electronic prescribing for most prescriptions, and federal rules require it for controlled substances under Medicare Part D.
What is NCPDP SCRIPT?
The messaging standard US e-prescribing runs on — it defines the structured formats for new prescriptions, renewals, changes, and cancellations between prescriber and pharmacy systems.
How is EPCS different from ordinary eRx?
EPCS is e-prescribing for controlled substances: same rails, plus DEA-mandated identity proofing, two-factor signing, and certified software on both ends.