EPCS Setup Guide for Providers (Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances)--SA Training – BDH Help Center

NOTE: For your convenience, we have provided a downloadable/printable PDF file of this article at the bottom of this page.

Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS) within Better Day Health offers new dimensions of safety and security for controlled substance prescriptions.

(Note: before beginning with this guide, a License Key must first be obtained by your administrator. Please refer to Super Admin Setup for EPCS for more information.)

This guide is broken into 3 sections:

1. Identity Proofing

All Providers who wish to prescribe controlled substances must first verify their identity, through our partner Exostar. Experian proofing is a credit bureau proofing process, which requires users to verify their identity by answering credit bureau-based questions. For a detailed explanation of this process, click here: OTP Identity Proofing.

2. Nominating a Prescriber

Once a Prescriber has gone through ID Proofing, a Super Admin can nominate that Provider for our EPCS service.

3. Steps to Prescribing a Controlled Substance

Once the Nomination process is completed a Provider can securely and easily begin prescribing Controlled Substances.

Identity Proofing Process

Before using Better Day Health's EPCS, Healthcare Providers must first prove their Identity though our partner Exostar. Your Practice Manager will first provide you with a License Key which can be purchased through the Exostar portal.

Start by clicking on your Username > Right Side Menu > Staff Details to access your User Data page.

Scroll to the section labeled EPCS and select the button labeled Start Identity Proofing.

Enter your license key in the popup window at this time.

You will be redirected to the Exostar portal to complete ID Proofing process.

First, read through and agree to the Terms of Service.

Next, register the Provider's phone number where the authentication app, Authy, will be installed. This is where Providers will retrieve their authorization token to approve Controlled Substance prescribing.

At this time, the system will wait for you to download and install the Authy application on your phone. Once complete, the system will recognize your newly registered phone and will continue with the ID Proofing process.

Confirm that your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and other personal information is correct.

Next, you will be asked a series of questions to help the system prove your identity.

NOTE:

There are three possible outcomes for the Experian proofing:

If you answer questions correctly, you will be directed to activate your OTP credential.
If you answer some questions incorrectly, but the credit bureau is able to locate you, you will receive the activation code in 3 to 8 business days via postal mail. Use this code to activate your OTP credential.
If you answer questions incorrectly, you will be prompted to schedule a live video proofing session.
In the event that you are prompted to schedule a live video proofing session, visit the Exostar OTP Identity Proofing web page and see the section on Live Video Proofing for details.

Upon clicking the Next button a push notification will be sent to Authy on the mobile device you have registered. Once you have pressed to approve the process will continue to the next step.

You will now be asked setup a phone number to manage your EPCS license. This can be the same device you have already registered, or it can be a backup mobile device should the original be misplaced or replaced. A code will be sent to the phone number provided for one touch approval like before.

The Identity Proofing process is now Complete and the EPCS user status is now Registered.

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Nominating a Prescriber

Once a Provider has completed their Identity Proofing a system admin or practice manager must now assign and nominate the Provider before they can begin to order prescriptions.

Once the Provider has been successfully nominated:

The next time the healthcare Provider logs into their account The Provider should click "here" to be directed to the Staff Data page, then click the Accept button.

Finally, the Provider will open the Authy application on their mobile device and enter the Token number and their Better Day Health password to complete the nomination process.

The healthcare provider is now able to begin to securely and easily begin prescribing controlled substances in Better Day Health.

Super Admin Setup for EPCS for more information on Nominating a Prescriber.

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Prescribing Controlled Substances

Now that the Provider roll has proven their identity and completed the nomination process, they are ready to quickly and securely begin to prescribe controlled substances.

Start by creating a new medication.

Fill out the controlled substance order like any other medication order. Press Place Order when complete.

Note: Nurse and Support staff are able to complete the steps above to "tee-up" the controlled substance order. One they click "Place Order", the medication order will be available in the provider's Pending Medications waiting to be sent to the pharmacy.

In compliance with the DEA signing a controlled substance order must be completed by the prescribing provider in 2 steps:

First, the Provider must review the order to mark that they are ready to sign.

Next, they must confirm the controlled substance order by clicking Sign & Send.

Finally, the Provider will be prompted to enter an authorization token and their Better Day Health password. Open the Authy application on the registered mobile device to retrieve the token and enter the information in the popup window.