Supervalu Pharmacies becomes first U.S. chain credentialed to accept electronic prescriptions for controlled substances regulated by the U.S. government because of their potential for abuse

Cindy Allen

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minnesota , September 8, 2011 (Business Wire) – SUPERVALU Pharmacies are the first chain in the United States to meet stringent regulatory requirements and gain approval to accept e-prescriptions for controlled substances.

Currently, SHOPPERS PHARMACY and FARM FRESH PHARMACY banners in Virginia, and ALBERTSONS SAV-ON PHARMACY in Southern California are the first pharmacies within the chain to accept e-prescriptions for controlled substances – drugs or other substances that are regulated under federal law depending on medical use, potential for abuse, and addictiveness. In the coming weeks, this offering will be expanded to all SUPERVALU Pharmacies where approved by state law. These pharmacies include: ACME SAV-ON PHARMACY, CUB PHARMACY, JEWEL-OSCO PHARMACY, SHAW’S OSCO PHARMACY, SHOP ‘N SAVE PHARMACY and SHOP ‘N SAVE OSCO PHARMACY.

“SUPERVALU Pharmacies are pleased to provide this added level of service and convenience of e-prescriptions for our patients who require prescriptions of controlled substances,” said Chris Dimos, president, SUPERVALU Pharmacies. “This capability is another way our pharmacists combine technology and personal service to decrease our customers’ wait times for prescriptions.”

Doctors have had the ability to electronically send prescriptions for non-controlled medications for eight years. This new e-prescribing capability offers added convenience to pharmacy patients who require prescriptions for controlled substances. Instead of bringing in a hand-written prescription, any prescriber who possesses e-prescribing capabilities and is certified to e-prescribe controlled substances can submit their patient’s controlled substance prescriptions straight to their local SUPERVALU pharmacy. It is important to note, some states limit the types of controlled substances that can be prescribed via electronic transmission.

“E-prescriptions are especially convenient for patients with multiple prescriptions for controlled and non-controlled substances,” said Dimos. “Now all these prescriptions can be electronically issued at one time and promptly filled, requiring no additional paperwork or waiting.”

All pharmacies must undergo a credentialing process to accept e-prescriptions for controlled substances. These security and regulatory requirements are administered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and must be adhered to. SUPERVALU’s Pharmacies are the first in the United States to meet all those requirements and gain approval to accept e-prescriptions for controlled substances.

About SUPERVALU INC.
SUPERVALU INC. is one of the largest companies in the U.S. grocery channel with annual sales of approximately $37 billion. SUPERVALU serves customers across the United States through a network of approximately 4,290 stores composed of 1,107 traditional retail stores, including 801 in-store pharmacies; 1,283 hard-discount stores, of which 907 are operated by licensee owners; and 1,900 independent stores serviced primarily by the company’s traditional food distribution business. SUPERVALU has approximately 140,000 employees. For more information about SUPERVALU visit www.supervalu.com.

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