News & Media
Walmart and Sam’s Club to Require EPCS in New Year
As part of its Opioid Stewardship Initiative, Walmart has announced all Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will require controlled substances to be electronically prescribed beginning January 1, 2020. This initiative is scheduled to be rolled out in all states regardless of whether states have passed laws mandating electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). Physicians with patients who frequent Walmart and/or Sam’s Club pharmacies should consider whether they need to invest in an EPCS solution before the first of the new year.
Of note, nationally, a “tidal wave” of electronic prescribing mandates has surfaced. The federal SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which was passed and signed into law last year, requires the use of electronic prescribing of controlled substances for all controlled substances under Medicaid Part D by January 1, 2021. Five states have mandates in effect, 22 have passed legislation with future effective dates, and Michigan has pending legislation.
Senate Bill 248 and House Bill 4217 are currently being debated by the Michigan Senate and House, respectively. These bills would require prescribers to electronically transmit all prescriptions, including those for controlled substances, to the patient’s chosen pharmacy beginning January 1, 2021. Various exceptions including a waiver process are included in both bills. Prescribers failing to electronically prescribe, except as provided by an exception, would be in violation of the Public Health Code and subject to fines. MSMS is opposed to this unfunded mandate and related penalty provisions.