Effective October 1, Medicaid prescriptions must be written on tamper-resistant prescription forms. This policy change was slipped into military funding legislation that recently became law.
The ambiguity of the statutory language, coupled with the rapidly-approaching effective date, could create problems for both prescribers and Medicaid beneficiaries. While we do not anticipate problems for ASA members who work in hospitals, we are concerned that other ASA members—especially pain physicians who work in office settings—may be adversely affected by the new requirement.
ASA has joined a broad coalition to urge Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to delay implementation of the federal mandate. It appears that repealing the new requirement may require a legislative fix. While there is widespread support to address the problem, procedural requirements could make it a costly solution.
ASA will continue to monitor this situation and keep members informed of latest news.
