SB 1192- Relating to Electronic Prescribing

On Tuesday, April 16, SB 1192 by Senator Aaron Bean (R-Jacksonville) was heard in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and was reported favorably with 10 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) is a method by which an authorized health care practitioner electronically transmits a prescription to a pharmacy using a secure software system. Efforts have been made by states, as well as the federal government, to increase the use of e-prescribing software. This bill requires a prescription that is electronically generated and transmitted to contain an electronic signature from the prescribing practitioner, and requires such practitioner to, under specified conditions except in certain circumstances, exclusively transmit prescriptions electronically for medicinal drugs upon license renewal or by July 1, 2021, whichever is earlier.

SB 1192 will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AIF supports legislation that provides for improved prescription accuracy, increased patient safety, reduced opportunities for fraud and abuse and reduced overall costs.  Improving the overall functionality and cost will further enable Florida employers to provide health care coverage for our citizens.