IdenTrust™, Inc. (part of HID Global®), a worldwide leader in identity solutions, and ScriptRx, Inc., a Florida-based healthcare technology company, recently jointly announced that the ScriptRx software application for EPCS has received certification to federally mandated standards by Drummond Group, Inc. IdenTrust digital identities are a key element in the certification, and used by the ScriptRx application and end users to link auditable proof of identity to electronic prescriptions.
E-Prescriptions, when deployed properly, reduce error and improve patient care while increasing the safety and convenience of medication distribution. At the same time, they also present the potential for new forms of fraud, privacy violations, and other forms of cybercrime. To combat this, the DEA Interim Final Rule (IFR) creates clear and careful boundaries for their creation and use. Before an application can be used to transmit e-prescriptions for controlled substances, its provider must successfully complete a third-party audit done by an entity such as Drummond Group.
IdenTrust digital identities allow application providers to meet the DEA IFR requirements, and provide a valuable tool for other electronic transactions or activities where proof of identity is necessary. IdenTrust digital identities can secure applications and networks, streamline electronic workflows, and provide online fraud protection. The digital identities can also be used to create digital signatures for authentication, encrypt electronic materials, and generate electronic signatures that are the legal equivalent of wet ink signatures.
“The IdenTrust experience and expertise in providing identity management for the US Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and leading financial institutions was a determining factor in choosing them for our identity solution,” said David Turner, Senior Vice President of Product Development at ScriptRx. “With the potential liability associated with EPCS, we needed to have the utmost confidence working with Drummond Group, and were especially pleased with the IdenTrust attention to the DEA compliance details. By achieving this DEA IFR certification for EPCS, the ScriptRx application is positioned at the forefront of the industry, raising the bar for e-prescription delivery while providing our customers and end users with industry-leading compliance.”
Drummond Group’s EPCS certification process is done using testing that simulates the real environments where software applications are deployed. With years of software testing and certification experience, the vendor-neutral firm is one of the first to implement its certification process, which is approved by the DEA to verify EPCS-specific requirements of prescriber and pharmacy applications in compliance with the DEA IFR for EPCS.
“IdenTrust is a regulated financial entity, so we understand the complexities of compliance,” said Karen Wendel, IdenTrust CEO. “We were confident the ScriptRx EPCS application would pass Drummond Group’s rigorous auditing standards and are delighted to partner with ScriptRx to advance EPCS adoption.”
