Save time and boost efficiency with the new SCRIPT standard v2017071 implementation in FrameworkLTC.

In the NCPDP SCRIPT v2017071 standard that became effective Jan 1, 2020, important functionality was added to FrameworkLTC as a way to improve patient safety, clinical decision-making, and business and administrative efficiencies for all industry stakeholders.

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Here at SoftWriters, we’ve had some questions surface regarding the changes to refill message types, so I wanted to take some time and share what’s new. Let’s dive in:

New Year, New Message Names

The RefillRequest and RefillResponse messages have been updated in NCPDP SCRIPT v2017071 with new names and additional new functionality.

1. RefillRequest is now called RxRenewalRequest

2. RefillResponse is now called RxRenewalResponse

1. RxRenewalRequest

RxRenewalRequest messages types are used to electronically send a request from a pharmacy to a prescriber for additional refills of a prescription. This procedure is still supported in the newest version of FrameworkLTC as it has historically. Essentially, the only thing changing about this message type is the name, from RefillRequest to RxRenewalRequest. Users can send a refill request (RxRenewalRequest) by clicking on the “Request Refills” button on the: Patient > Reorders screen.   

2. RxRenewalResponse

A prescriber can respond to an RxRenewalRequest via an RxRenewalResponse in one of four ways. The first three were already part of SCRIPT 10.6 standard and are still available in the new SCRIPT v2017071 standard.

1. Approved

2. Approved with Changes

3. Denied

4. Replace (NEW)

The new fourth response type of RxRenewalResponse, Replace, has been added as part of the new SCRIPT v2017071 standard implementation to FrameworkLTC.

RxRenewalResponse – Replace

This new message type will be helpful for pharmacies in terms of efficiency as well as tracking; more on that in a bit. First, let’s discuss when RxRewalResponse - Replace would come into play:

Sometimes a pharmacy requests a refill, but the prescriber wishes to replace the patient’s existing prescription with a different medication type or strength, or with significantly different directions. For example, when a patient’s dose has changed from once a day to twice a day, or is being switched to a different drug in the same class.   

In these scenarios, SCRIPT v10.6 supported a RefillResponse of “Denied – New Rx To Follow”, which required a separate NewRx message to communicate the changed prescription. This response was retired along with v10.6 on December 31, 2019.   

In its place is the RxRenewalResponse - Replace. This is a new feature, added in SCRIPT v2017071, which allows the prescriber to respond to a refill request with a different medication, strength or dosage than what was originally requested. 

This new message eliminates the redundancy of the previous process (“Denied – NewRx To Follow”), effectively combining the RefillResponse and NewRx into a single message.

RxRenewalResponse - Replace has distinct and impactful benefits to pharmacy workflow operations:

1. It eliminates redundant E-Rx messages. What once required two separate E-Rx messages in v10.6 can now be accomplished by sending the communication as a single message in v2017071.

2. More importantly, the replacement prescription is linked to the original RxRenewalRequest, creating a trackable sequence of events. This allows the pharmacy to easily identify changes in therapy and help prevent medication errors.             

RxRenewalResponse – Replace in FrameworkLTC

FrameworkLTC supports RxRenewalResponse – Replace as part of the NCPDP SCRIPT standard v2017071 in versions 219 and higher for both Surescripts and supporting point-to-point vendors. These responses will be highlighted in red on the E-Rx message display for easy identification.   

Look for these messages in your E-Rx queue. RxRenewalResponse – Replace is an easy way to save time and boost efficiency with the new SCRIPT standard v2017071 implementation in FrameworkLTC.

Mark Fulton is a Clinical Product Manager at SoftWriters, a Pittsburgh-based company that offers pharmacy management solutions to pharmacies serving the long-term care community. Mark applies his 16 years of pharmacy expertise to the software development process, creating value by building a more efficient linkage between customers and the development channel.