Electronic Prescribing

What is Electronic Prescribing? 

The Electronic Prescribing (eRx) initiative is a Defense Health Agency (DHA), Pharmacy Operation Division (POD) project that allows civilian providers to electronically transmit prescriptions to military treatment facility (MTF) pharmacies. This change brings the MHS into alignment with the e-Prescribing Meaningful Use Requirements and also addresses the growing number of civilian providers who utilize electronic prescribing as their only means of generating a prescription.

Note, some medications still require paper prescriptions. Military pharmacies do not accept electronic prescriptions for controlled substances.

MTF Pharmacies that Accept Electronic Prescriptions from Civilian Providers

Why Choose Electronic Prescribing? 

Medication Safety and Efficient Service

• Reduce the chance of transcription errors due to illegible handwritten prescriptions
• Reduce the likelihood of losing a handwritten prescription in transit
• Reduce the need to call the provider’s office for clarification about the prescription
• Electronic prescriptions are transmitted securely from the provider’s office to the pharmacy

Beneficiary Convenience and Cost Savings

• Electronic prescriptions are sent directly to the pharmacy, eliminating the need to wait in line to drop-off paper prescriptions, a potential trip saver
• Direct delivery of an electronic prescription from the provider's office to the MTF pharmacy may reduce beneficiary's wait time based on the pharmacy workflow and workload
• Prescriptions picked-up from an MTF pharmacy have $0 copay

How To Get Started

Providers can:

• Start sending electronic prescription to military pharmacies in US, Guam, and Puerto Rico immediately
• Educate beneficiaries on the benefits of electronic prescriptions using the Provider's Flyer
• Search for military pharmacies by using the DoD adopted naming standard "DoD SITE NAME ePhcy" (all MTF ePharmacies starts with "DoD" and are published by Surescripts^® electronic prescribing network)
• Continue to hand write prescriptions for controlled substances for their patients picking up prescriptions at military pharmacies. At this time military pharmacies do not accept electronic prescriptions for controlled substances, including in New York and Arizona.

Beneficiaries can:

• Ask your doctor to send your prescription electronically to one of the military pharmacies
• Ask your MTF pharmacy about their participation with electronic prescribing
• Ask your MTF pharmacy to complete the Beneficiary Flyer (Full Sheet) or Beneficiary Flyer (Half Sheet) and share with your provider