The Interim Final Rule specifies the rules that health care providers will need to follow in order to electronically prescribe controlled substances in accordance with the law. Since DEA published the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for electronic prescribing of controlled substance, ONC, CMS, AHRQ and other HHS staff have worked closely with DEA to develop the policies in the Interim Final Rule. The Interim Final Rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, March 31 and will include a 60 day comment period. If the federal Register is published on 3/31, you should have until May 30, 2010 to submit any comments you might have regarding this Interim Final Rule.

Comments may be sent to DEA by sending an electronic message to dea.diversion.policy@usdoj.gov . Comments may also be sent electronically through http://www.regulations.gov <http://www.regulations.gov/> using the electronic comment form provided on that site. To ensure proper handling of comments, please reference “Docket No.DEA-218″ on all written and electronic correspondence.

To view the federal Register go to: http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-06687_PI.pdf

Mail will be forwarded from Syracuse to Indianapolis as workload is shifted. Providers will be notified in April of the new P.O. Box numbers they are to use.

The Mail & Distribution Hub consolidation should be transparent to providers as mail will be forwarded immediately as each operational segment of mail operations is transferred from Syracuse to Indianapolis.

Please watch for future Listserv notices and bulletin articles for the new P.O. Boxes and other information.

Thank you,
National Government Services, Inc.
Corporate Communications