April 9, 2021

EPCS Requirement Delayed Until Jan. 1, 2022

At the request of the WSMA, Secretary of Health Umair Shah, MD, has delayed the state's electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) requirement until Jan. 1, 2022, due to the state's ongoing pandemic response. The delay will align the state's mandate with a new Medicare requirement - and give physician practices recovering from the effects of the pandemic an extra few months to help to mitigate some of the unprecedented financial challenges facing them.

The WSMA thanks Secretary Shah for the delay and for acknowledging physicians' contributions to the state's pandemic response and the importance of an ongoing partnership. The EPCS requirement is required by Senate Bill 5380 (2019) and codified in Chapter 69.50 RCW.