ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING ACT

Creates the Electronic Prescribing Act. Provides that beginning August 1, 2014, a drug prior authorization request must be accessible to a health care provider with the provider's electronic prescribing software system and must be accepted electronically, through a secure electronic transmission, by the payer, by the insurance company, or by the pharmacy benefit manager responsible for implementing or adjudicating or for implementing and adjudicating the authorization or denial of the prior authorization request. Provides that beginning August 1, 2014, electronic transmission devices used to communicate a prescription to a pharmacist may not use any means or permit any other person to use any means, including advertising, commercial messaging, and pop-up advertisements, to influence or attempt to influence through economic incentives the prescribing decision of a prescribing practitioner at the point of care. Creates the Electronic Prescribing Study Committee to study certain aspects of optimizing electronic prescribing systems, including, how to ensure that the prescribing decisions of practitioners at the point of care are focused on patient safety and quality outcomes, and that attempts to influence those decisions, through economic incentives or otherwise, are kept to a minimum. Contains provisions concerning Committee policies; Committee hearings; the Committee's composition; compensation; and reporting requirements. Effective July 1, 2012.