D.0 Standard Final Rule Publication

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announces the January 24, 2020, Federal Register publication of the Final Rule (FR) CMS-0055-F, which modifies the requirements for use of the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) Telecommunication Standard Implementation Guide, Version D, Release 0, August 2007, by requiring the use of the Quantity Prescribed (460-ET) field to identify partial fills for Schedule II drugs.

This modification enables covered entities to clearly distinguish in a HIPAA retail pharmacy transaction if a prescription is a “partial fill” where less than the full amount prescribed is dispensed under the CARA provision. This is a modification to ensure information is available to help prevent impermissible refills of Schedule II drugs and to yield better data for researchers to enhance understanding of prescribing trends.  We believe this modification will assist with addressing the public health concerns associated with prescription drug abuse in the United States. 

For more information, read the full Information Bulletin on the Go-to-Info page.