Pharmacists Support Electronic Prescription Transfer Despite Key Challenges

Pharmacists expressed mostly positive feelings toward the introduction of electronic prescription transfers (EPTs) from prescribers to community pharmacies, according to a study published in Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy.¹ However, despite these positive attitudes, pharmacists identified a variety of issues, including a lack of patient understanding and managing their expectations, the financial impact on pharmacies, and reduced time between patients and their prescribers.

“Although the introduction of printing and computers enabled the generation of typed prescriptions, which reduced errors related to handwriting, patients typically still had the burden of transporting the prescription to a pharmacy and waiting for it to be dispensed,” wrote the authors of the study. “However, over the last 2 decades, there has been a push for prescriptions to be transferred electronically, helping to overcome some of the problems with physical prescriptions.”

The cross-sectional survey revealed that although 94.7% of pharmacists viewed routine EPT as a positive step, they faced immediate administrative hurdles. Specifically, 89.5% of respondents felt pharmacies should be remunerated for the printing supplies required to maintain paper copies for record-keeping and government reimbursement.¹

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Furthermore, 80% of surveyed pharmacists reported that patients expected their prescriptions to be prepared much faster, with many assuming that electronic transmission meant instant readiness. This disconnect highlighted a significant need for public education and realistic expectation management, especially as 70.5% of pharmacists agreed that patients lacked sufficient information about how the EPT process actually worked.

These operational frictions are not unique to Ireland, where the study was conducted, as countries such as the UK, US, Finland, and Denmark have pioneered the implementation of electronic prescribing initiatives to reduce errors and improve care.¹

In the US, a landmark regulatory shift occurred when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) enacted a revised regulation that went into effect on August 28, 2023. Under this rule, pharmacies are permitted to transfer electronic prescriptions for Schedules II to V controlled substances between registered retail pharmacies for initial filling on a one-time basis, provided the request is initiated by the patient.^2,3

To maintain security and compliance, the DEA mandated that the transfer must be communicated directly between 2 licensed pharmacists, the prescription must remain strictly in its electronic format without alteration, and the associated electronic records must be kept for 2 years.

The industry response to this regulatory flexibility has been rapid, driven by private-sector technological innovations.

In early 2026, health intelligence network Surescripts announced a massive surge in the adoption of its RxTransfer transaction, which has successfully integrated into electronic workflows across pharmacies nationwide, including 4800 Walmart locations. In January 2026 alone, pharmacies completed 542,202 electronic transfers, more than double the transactions recorded in 2025.⁴

This digital migration successfully replaces slow, manual faxes and phone calls, with 75% of electronic transfer requests receiving a response within an hour.

The evolution of electronic communication in medication distribution is critical to combating the broader issue of clinician burnout, which has become one of the most concerning problems in pharmacy regulation today due to rising demands for services. To alleviate these stressors, many community pharmacies are increasingly embracing digital advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and standardized communication protocols, to streamline workflows, reduce administrative bottlenecks, and enhance patient safety.⁵

These advancements are part of a massive global digital transformation in the pharmacy sector, a market projected to reach $35.33 billion by 2026 with an annual growth rate of 14.4%. This shift spans from clinical telemedicine and e-prescribing software to the growing integration of retail and wellness platforms.⁶

By embracing these comprehensive digital tools, pharmacists are not only overcoming current workflow challenges but are also establishing their practices as highly innovative, modern hubs of integrated health care delivery.

“While pharmacists were mostly positive about EPT introduction, they highlighted issues such as the lack of understanding by patients and prescribers regarding the process, managing patients' expectations, its financial impact on pharmacies, and reduced patient contact with their prescriber and prescription,” concluded the authors of the current study.¹ “This study has provided several useful solutions on how to deal with these challenges and outlined important suggested strategies which should be taken on board by software developers, health care professionals, patients, and policy makers—both for how EPT can be improved upon and for the development of electronic prescribing systems internationally in future.”

READ MORE: Technology and Data Resource Center

REFERENCES

1. Dalton K, Kenny C, Culhane M, et al. Community pharmacists’ views on the implementation of a national electronic prescription transfer system to pharmacies: a cross-sectional survey. Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. July 29, 2026:100826. doi:10.1016/j.rcsop.2026.100826

2. Revised regulation allows DEA-registered pharmacies to transfer electronic prescriptions at a patient’s request. DEA. September 1, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2026. https://www.dea.gov/stories/2023/2023-09/2023-09-01/revised-regulation-allows-dea-registered-pharmacies-transfer

3. Transfer of electronic prescriptions for schedules II-V controlled substances between pharmacies for initial filling. Federal Register. July 27, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2026. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/27/2023-15847/transfer-of-electronic-prescriptions-for-schedules-ii-v-controlled-substances-between-pharmacies-for

4. SureScripts RXTransfer saves time for pharmacists and prescribers with seamless communication, ensuring patients have access to needed medications without delay. News Release. Surescripts. March 31, 2026. Accessed August 7, 2026. https://surescripts.com/press-releases/surescripts-rxtransfer-saves-time-pharmacists-and-prescribers-seamless-communication-ensuring-patients-have-access-needed-medications-without-delay

5. Rise of digital pharmacy: how emerging technologies are changing the practice. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. July 19, 2023. Accessed August 7, 2026. https://nabp.pharmacy/news/blog/rise-of-digital-pharmacy-how-emerging-technologies-are-changing-the-practice/

6. Almeman A. The digital transformation in pharmacy: embracing online platforms and the cosmeceutical paradigm shift. J Health Popul Nutr. 2024 May 8;43(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s41043-024-00550-2