Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: One of our providers orders the patients' prescriptions, but the nurse (who is employed by the hospital) actually transmits the electronic prescription. Can we still submit for our physician since he ordered the prescription, or can we only do that if the physician uses the e-prescribe machine himself?

Alabama Subscriber

Answer: The CMS website does not include details specific to this situation, but some examples address e-prescribing when a resident is working under a teaching physician. Based on that information, it seems the physician could work with the nurse to transmit the e-prescription and consider it a successful e-prescription reportable with G8553 (Prescription[s] generated and transmitted via a qualified ERx system).

Caution: Questions might arise if the nurse completes the medication order within the system based on a verbal order from the physician. Be sure the physician views the accuracy of the prescription details before the nurse transmits the order electronically.