Delay Of Tamper Resistant Prescription Pad Rule Ends Today

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 01 Apr 2008 - 16:00 PDT

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The six-month delay of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulation requiring the use of tamper resistant prescription pads for Medicaid beneficiaries is set to end on April 1.

Beginning April 1, a prescription pad must meet one of the three following requirements:

1. One or more industry-recognized features designed to prevent unauthorized copying of a completed or blank prescription form;
2. One or more industry-recognized features designed to prevent the erasure or modification of information written on the prescription pad by the prescriber;
3. One or more industry recognized features designed to prevent the use of counterfeit prescription forms.

By October 1, 2008, a prescription pad must contain all three of the above characteristics to be considered tamper-resistant.

Click here for more information on the new rule.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services