The full definition
Surescripts is a near-monopoly intermediary that routes electronic prescription messages between prescriber software and pharmacy software. Any ePrescribe vendor must be Surescripts-certified to deliver prescriptions to retail pharmacies. There are two paths to Surescripts: direct certification (which takes 12–18 months and significant compliance investment) or integration through a Surescripts-certified middleware vendor (the practical path for most platforms).
Why it matters in practice
Think of Surescripts as the Visa or Mastercard of e-prescriptions. The certification process governs everything from medication name standardization (RxNorm) to controlled substance handling (EPCS) to formulary lookup integration. Without Surescripts certification, an ePrescribe product cannot send real prescriptions to real pharmacies.
Real-world examples
- A psychiatrist sending an Adderall prescription from their EHR to CVS
- A behavioral health prescriber sending a buprenorphine prescription via EPCS
- Formulary verification confirming a patient's plan covers a specific medication before prescribing
Inside Velant
Velant ePrescribe is Surescripts-certified for all 50 states including EPCS for controlled substances — the same network credential used by Athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, and every other production-grade ePrescribe.
Related terms
- EPCS (Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances)A DEA-regulated electronic prescribing standard for Schedule II–V controlled substances, requiring identity proofing, two-factor authentication, and audit logging of every prescription event.
- DEA 1311 (21 CFR Part 1311)The DEA regulation governing electronic prescribing of controlled substances, including identity proofing, two-factor authentication, biometric standards, hardware token requirements, and audit logging.
- PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program)A state-run electronic database of controlled substance prescriptions, used to identify patient misuse, doctor-shopping, and inappropriate prescribing patterns.