GLOSSARY · PRESCRIPTIONS
EPCS, secure e-prescriptions for controlled drugs.
EPCS (electronic prescribing of controlled substances) is a DEA-regulated prescribing method that lets licensed prescribers send prescriptions for controlled drugs to a pharmacy electronically.
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What it means
The DEA's rules require each prescriber's identity to be verified before they can use EPCS, every controlled prescription to be signed with two-factor authentication, and the prescribing software to be audited or certified for EPCS. Records must be kept and available for audit. Many states require controlled prescriptions to be sent electronically, and Medicare Part D requires it for most of them.
Controlled substances include drugs common in telehealth programs: testosterone (Schedule III), stimulants for ADHD (Schedule II), and some weight-loss drugs such as phentermine (Schedule IV). GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are not controlled.
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Why it matters to a brand operator
A brand whose programs touch a controlled drug needs three things in place: EPCS-certified software, prescribers enrolled with verified identities, and pharmacies that accept electronic controlled prescriptions. Without all three, those programs cannot launch in states that mandate EPCS.
EPCS sits beside other controlled-substance duties: a DEA registration for each prescriber, state controlled-substance registrations where required, and checks of the state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) before prescribing. Programs that rely on telehealth prescribing also have to track the DEA's telemedicine rules as they change.
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How Tessic Health handles it
Every Tessic Health clinic includes DEA-compliant EPCS. Prescribers complete identity proofing, every controlled prescription requires two-factor signing, prescription records are retained and auditable, and state requirements such as PDMP checks are enforced inside the prescribing workflow.
See the published termsRELATED TERMS
Words that come up next.
E-prescribing
E-prescribing is a prescribing method that sends a prescription from the provider's software to the pharmacy over a secure network, replacing paper, phone, and fax.
DEA telemedicine rules
DEA telemedicine rules are a set of federal regulations that decide when a provider may prescribe a controlled substance to a patient they have only seen by telehealth.
Dispensing vs. prescribing
Dispensing vs. prescribing is a legal distinction that separates the clinician who decides a patient should take a drug from the pharmacy that prepares and delivers it.