Each of the following scenarios will tell you whether or not a prescription counts as e-scribing under CMS’s rules. The scenarios are based on CMS policy governing the program and the questions that were asked during a recent CMS teleconference.

• You ‘write’ a prescription using a qualified e-prescribing system. The pharmacist retrieves the prescription from his computer and fills the order. You can report G8553 in the instance.
• You ‘write’ a prescription in your e-prescribing system, but print the script and fax it to the pharmacy. You cannot report G8553.
• You ‘write’ a prescription from your e-prescribing system that automatically generates a fax to the pharmacy. You cannot report G8553 because it is a fax transmission, not electronic to a computer interface.
• You ‘write’ a prescription using your e-prescribing system and send the order to a pharmacy. The pharmacy does not have the ability to receive e-prescriptions and the system converts the transmission to a fax to the pharmacy. You can report G8553 because the system converted your electronic script to a fax unknown to you, because the pharmacy cannot accept electronic prescriptions and you did not create the fax.
• You enter a prescription into your e-system, send it to the pharmacy. During transmission, it converts to a fax because the pharmacies computer system is down. You can bill G8553 because you did not generate the fax.
• You enter your script into your system and you receive a failure message. You must print the script or fax it. You cannot report G8553.
• The patient wants a paper script even though you have entered into your system. If you did not ‘click’ the send button, you cannot report G8553.

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