Tamper Proof - Prescription Requirement Effective April 1, 2008

VHCA (3/28/2008)

On April 1, the six-month moratorium on the Medicaid tamper resistant prescription pad requirement is set to expire.  AHCA has confirmed with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that in nearly all scenarios, skilled nursing facilities are exempt from this prescription pad requirement.  CMS has affirmed that prescription orders are considered to be "tamper resistant" in institutional settings so long as the order is written into the medical record and then provided directly to the pharmacy by medical staff - and the resident never has access to the prescription.  (If a prescription is “handed” to the resident in paper form, then it must be written on a tamper resident prescription pad.)

To access the complete CMS question and answer sheet, please click here.  To access the DMAS memorandum sent to providers on February 29, 2008 as an “Update on Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pad Requirements” click here.