Electronic Prescribing Of Controlled Substances Takes On America's Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic

The U.S. is facing a national public health epidemic – prescription drug abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 25,000 Americans lost their lives to prescription drug overdoses in 2014. That is nearly twice as many deaths than from cocaine and heroin overdoses combined. Sadly, every day, more than 70 people die from prescription drug overdoses.

In 2010, with almost 50 percent of all substance abuse deaths related to prescription drug overdose, the DEA responded to the growing national prescription drug abuse epidemic by finalizing a rule allowing electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). The primary objective of the DEA ruling is to reduce the potential for diversion, and subsequent abuse, of controlled substances. EPCS promises to deliver on a number of benefits.