The act took effect on January 1 and requires electronic prescribing of controlled substances when a drug is covered by Medicare Part D, Weno Exchange said. As the cost of doing this can be prohibitive for small practices, starting at $42,000 with annual fees of $14,000, Weno Exchange is providing a free service, it said.

Weno Exchange's Weno Online meets the EPCS software mandate of having a third-party audit to validate Medicare requirements, and it is the only e-prescribing platform independent from the Surescripts network, according to the company.