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Alert Update: DATE DELAYED - Releases Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pad Guidance

Alert Update: DATE DELAYED - CMS Releases Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pad Guidance

Update:  On Saturday, September 29, 2007, President Bush signed the "Extenders Law," delaying the implementation date for all paper Medicaid prescriptions to be written on tamper-resistant paper.  Under the new law, as of April 1, 2008, all written Medicaid prescriptions must be on tamper-resistant prescription pads.

CMS originally took a two-phased approach to implementation.  For the first phase, at least one of the three tamper-resistant characteristics had to be required by State Medicaid agencies on prescriptions from the original implementation date of October 1, 2007, and then all three were to be required on October 1, 2008.  With the implementation delay, the two-phased approach will still be in effect.  At least one of the three characteristics must be required on April 1, 2008, and all three characteristics must still be required on October 1, 2008.

The previous guidance CMS released to States via the August 17, 2007 "State Medicaid Director's Letter" and subsequent top questions will apply once the requirement is implemented. http://www.cms.hhs.gov