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CMS-1403-FC
dispensers to move toward use of NCPDP SCRIPT. We believed
the elimination of the computer-generated facsimile
exemption would encourage prescribers and dispensers using
this computer-generated facsimile technology to, where
available, utilize true e-prescribing (electronic data
interchange using the NCPDP SCRIPT standard) capabilities.
We proposed to eliminate the computer-generated
facsimile exemption effective 1 year after the effective
date of the CY 2008 PFS final rule (that is,
January 1, 2009). We believed that this would provide
sufficient notice to prescribers and dispensers who would
need to implement or upgrade e-prescribing software to look
for products and upgrades that are capable of generating
and receiving transactions that utilize NCPDP SCRIPT. It
would also afford current e-prescribers time to work with
their trading partners to eventually eliminate computer-to-
facsimile transactions.
We solicited comments on the impact of the proposed
elimination of this exemption. Several commenters
concurred with our proposal to eliminate the exemption for
computer-generated facsimiles, indicating that eliminating
the exemption for computer-generated facsimiles would act
as an incentive to move prescribers and dispensers toward
true e-prescribing (electronic data interchange using the
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