Pursuant to Chapter 429 of the 2017 General Assembly Session, an interim report was published in 2017 (RD431) on e-prescribing.  Subsequently, a workgroup was convened on August 29, 2018 to finalize its review of actions necessary for implementation of the mandatory issuance of electronic prescriptions for controlled substances containing an opiate, effective July 1, 2020.  The workgroup considered whether to monitor the progression of the federal legislation prior to recommending a legislative proposal to authorize the exemptions that were recommended in the 2017 Interim Report and then further clarified at the August meeting.  There was consensus that legislation should be introduced during the 2019 General Assembly Session and that any necessary amendments in response to federal legislation could be addressed during the 2020 General Assembly Session.  There was further consensus that the Secretary of Health and Human Resources should convene a workgroup within two years of the effective date of the 2019 legislation of interested stakeholders to evaluate the implementation and report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare, and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2022.  The workgroup’s evaluation should identify successes and challenges with the mandate, and offer possible recommendations for increasing the electronic prescribing of controlled substances.