Many states have introduced Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) to help combat the opioid epidemic, and more and more states are mandating Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances (EPCS). Effective January 1, 2021, all Medicaid prescriptions must be submitted electronically in the United States. In this post, we’ll outline the tools that are integrated into Open Dental that will help you comply with your state’s mandates for both EPCS and PDMP.

What is the mandate in my state?

Many states already have EPCS and PDMP mandates in place. If your state is mandating one of these programs effective January 1, 2021, you will already have received a notification. Here’s a handy map to see the states that have/will have EPCS mandates and PDMP in place as of January 1, 2021. To use the interactive map with more details, click on the image below.

Source: DrFirst.com

Can I e-prescribe in Open Dental?

Yes. There are two options for e-prescribing in Open Dental. Your practice must be on support to e-prescribe through Open Dental.

1. DoseSpot (recommended)
   DoseSpot is an internet-based, secure ePrescribing system that integrates with Open Dental using a program link, and offers two-way medication syncing. It is also integrated into Open Dental Mobile.
   Learn more in our DoseSpot integration video, and on our online manual page.
   Note: If you are planning to switch to Open Dental, but need electronic prescriptions available sooner due to new regulations, DoseSpot has a stand-alone product that can be used until your conversion is complete and you can use the integration. The two systems are distinct and data will not transfer, but you can continue to look in the standalone product for the older eRx data as needed. See our manual page for more.
2. Legacy eRx
   Legacy eRx is an internet-based, secure ePrescribing system that integrates with Open Dental using a program link.
   Learn more on our online manual page.

This handy comparison chart may help:

My state has a PDMP. Can I connect this in Open Dental?

Yes! The PDMP integration was recently expanded to include all states that currently have programs.

To set up the PDMP integration in Open Dental:

• Your practice must be on support.
• Make sure to update your software to the latest stable version to take advantage of all the latest integrations. You must be on version 20.4 or greater to use this integration.
• Register with your state’s PDMP program
• Enable the bridge in Open Dental in Setup > Program Links and select the bridge indicated for your state.
  • Practices in California, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Utah, and Washington will use the PDMP bridge.
  • Users in all other states will use the Appriss bridge.

A few things to note:

• The PDMP bridges will open PDMP for the selected patient. No information is imported into Open Dental.
• DoseSpot has a direct integration with Appriss that shows the patient’s PDMP information inside of DoseSpot.
• Legacy eRx can integrate with PDMP but the information does not display in Legacy, instead, it opens the patient on your state’s PDMP website.

How do I get started?

To use DoseSpot

• Your practice must be on support.
• Complete the online registration form, and an eRx specialist at Open Dental will process your registration.
  • If there are any issues with your registration, we will reach out to you by phone.
  • Once registration is processed, an email will be sent to the Practice Admin email listed in your registration.
• If you have more than 10 providers or multiple locations, please call us to request a spreadsheet to fill out so you don’t have to submit multiple online registration forms.
• We recommend you update to the stable version for full functionality. However, you must be using Version 18.4 or greater.
  See the version you are currently using by going to Help > Update or Help > About. The version you are using will show at the top. If you are using a version earlier than 18.4, you must update before we can process your registration.
  Watch our video: How to Update Open Dental to a New Version.
• Please make sure your eConnector is installed and running.
  Watch our video: eConnector Installation.

Tips for filling out the online registration form:

• Your practice must be on support.
• Under Provider Info, the Personal NPI Number must be the provider’s personal NPI number, not a group NPI. Visit the NPPES NPI Registry website to verify the provider’s personal NPI.
• Under Clinic Info, the Practice Administrator is anyone that works in the office, but this cannot be a provider.

To use Legacy eRx

• Call us at +1 503.363.5432.
• We will need the provider to be available for 30 minutes, so please call when available or to schedule an appointment.
• We recommend you update to the stable version for access to all the latest tools. However, you must be using Version 17.4 or greater.
  See the version you are currently using by going to Help > Update or Help > About. TThe version you are using will show at the top.
  Watch our video: How to Update Open Dental to a New Version.

If you have questions about e-prescribing or PDMP in Open Dental or need help getting these integrations set up, please contact us.