AMA advocacy delivers modernized e-prescribing standard

In a significant victory for physician-led advocacy, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has adopted new electronic prescribing (eRx) standards that reflect key recommendations from the American Medical Association (AMA). This modernization is poised to enhance patient safety, reduce administrative burdens, and streamline physician workflows.

Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, the updated regulations governing e-prescribing technology, including electronic health records (EHRs), introduce a single, modernized system designed to reduce medication errors, expedite prior authorization responses, and free physicians from outdated administrative tasks — freeing up more time for direct patient care.

“This is exactly the kind of smart policy that emerges when physician experience with their patients informs government regulation,” said AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, M.D. “These upgrades will significantly reduce friction in the prescribing process, helping physicians deliver safer, faster, and more effective care of our patients.”

HHS’s new policy closely follows AMA’s comprehensive recommendations (PDF),incorporating critical features such as updated prescribing directions, precise product identifiers, and real-time access to current prescription data. These enhancements support more accurate dispensing, reduce the potential for error, and improve patient outcomes.

Importantly, the new standards integrate electronic prior authorization directly into the prescribing workflow—addressing a longstanding pain point for physicians and patients alike. The rules also reduce redundant or inefficient transactions, such as pharmacy-to-pharmacy transfers, ensuring technology serves clinical needs rather than adding complexity. Together, these changes mark a major step toward true interoperability of critical patient records, enabling physicians to access and exchange essential information more seamlessly across the care continuum.

To ensure a smooth transition, HHS has aligned its 2028 compliance deadline with that of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)—another milestone the AMA championed. EHR developers can begin adopting and integrating the new technology immediately, ensuring they are on track for the 2028 compliance deadline. By retiring the old eRx technology on that same date, HHS gives physicians and electronic health record developers a clear, synchronized roadmap, eliminating the risk of dueling federal timelines.

“Electronic prescribing has improved health care efficiency and patient safety. We need to continuously update the regulations to make sure we are taking advantage of the quickly advancing technology while removing the clutter of earlier regulations. HHS and the AMA have done just that,” Mukkamala said.

The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care.  The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.