Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement regarding yesterday’s interim rule for electronic prescribing of controlled substances issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ):
“Allowing for electronic prescribing of controlled substances – while maintaining rigorous controls to prevent illegal diversion and protect privacy – is key to unleashing the vast cost saving and quality improvement potential of health information technology. This new interim rule from the DEA and DOJ brings us one step closer to that goal. I understand there will be a period of public comment before the rule is finalized, but am encouraged by yesterday’s announcement. In the meantime, I look forward to reviewing the proposal further and hope for a final determination soon.”
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