The change will avoid situations in which patients report to a pharmacy counter to discover that their prescriptions cannot be filled, CMS says.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday a proposal to update prior authorization requirements for the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.
The proposed rule would expedite the process under Part D's e-prescribing program, giving clinicians the option to complete prior authorizations online, the agency said.
"Clinicians who select the electronic option will typically be able to satisfy the terms of a prior authorization in real time and before a prescription is transmitted to a pharmacy," the CMS announcement states. "This is so patients do not arrive at a pharmacy counter only to find that their prescription cannot be filled."
The proposal steps from the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act and would take effect in January 2021.
The proposed rule is available from the Federal Register.