www.RxSecurityFeatures.com

Dedicated to the Prevention of Unauthorized Script Duplication and Modification

The Pharmacist's Information Resource for validating Prescription Paper Security Features

Tamper Resistant Rx Security Feature Directory Security Warning Bands and Boxes Hidden Message Technology Artificial Watermark Toner Bond Security Anti-Copy Coin Rub Erasure Protection Batch Number Identification UV Security Secure Rub Color Change Ink Micro Line Security Multi-Part Scripts (not a security feature)	State Specific Information Delaware(effective March 1, 2012) Georgia (effective October 1, 2011) Florida (effective July 1, 2011) Washington (effective July 1, 2010) Security Feature Information Resource	It's A Fact ! Facts and Limitations relative to Document Security Paper Features FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Letter of Interpretation from NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs ) Medicaid Law AND UPDATE information from CMS There is much more to Tamper Resistant Scripts and Document Security Paper than just Hidden Message Technology. Prescription EVALUATION CHECKLIST
DELAWARE New laws relative to Medical Prescription Paper take effect in the State of Delaware March 1, 2012 All Rx Paper printers must State of Delaware approved manufacturers for Rx Paper products, may only sell prescription paper products to those authorized by the State of Delaware can purchase Rx Paper products. The Prescriber's Security Code must be presented to the Rx Paper Provider at the time an order for script paper is placed. Rx Paper Information As posted on the State of Delaware website Delaware Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pad Update on Prescription Pad Law Quick Reference Guide ~ General Information Beginning March 1, 2012, ALL written prescriptions must be on tamper-resistant security prescription forms printed by a vendor registered with the Division of Professional Regulation. The forms must contain specific security features (16 Del. C. §4797 (c)). Because there is no single format, pharmacists and prescribers need to be aware of the required security features. Description of Security Features and Form Requirements Prescription forms will be required for each practitioner, group practice or institution. The printing on each form must include name, street, city, state, zip code, telephone number, and the prescriber´s Delaware professional license/registration number. Computer software can print the actual prescriber´s/institution´s name and other required information. Repetitive Void Pattern - The word "VOID" must appear in a pattern across the entire face of the prescription form when it is scanned, photocopied or faxed. Watermark - A printed watermark consisting of the words "Delaware Security Prescription," which is visible to the human eye at a 45-degree angle, must be printed on the back of the prescription blank. Coin Reactive Ink - The words "Delaware Security Prescription" must appear on the back of the prescription when rubbed with a coin. Chemical Void - To prevent alteration by chemical washing, this feature causes a "VOID" pattern to appear when any area of the form is exposed to ink solvent (i.e., acetone). Thermochromic Ink Feature - The back of the prescription must contain a friction-activated ink feature (e.g., RX) in several locations that will disappear or change color when rubbed. It should return to its original color when cooled. Solid-Colored Background Security Back Print - The back of the prescription must include a chart listing all of the security features. Signature Lines -Two signature lines must be printed at the bottom of the face of the form. Under the first line, the words "Substitution Permissible" must be printed. Under the second line, the phrase "In order for a brand name product to be dispensed, the prescriber must hand write Brand Necessary or Brand Medically Necessary in the space provided" (24 Del.C §549). Refill Indicator Controlled Substance - Only one controlled substance may be listed on each prescription form. The quantity must be written in both number and text format (e.g., #35 (thirty-five)).Serial Numbers - A unique serial number must be printed on each form. No two forms may have the same serial number. Forms for Authorized Institutional Providers Institutions such as hospitals may register with the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) to purchase prescription forms on behalf of their licensed practitioners with prescriptive authority. (See Application for Authorization to Purchase Tamper-Resistant Prescription Forms as an Institutional Provider.) If the prescriber´s name is not preprinted on a form purchased by the institution, the form must provide a blank area for the actual prescriber to write, stamp, print his or her name, license number and federal controlled substance registration number (when applicable). Physician´s Assistants ~ Prescriptions must include printed or legible handwritten names of both the licensed Physician´s Assistant and his/her supervising physician as explained in 24 Del. C §1770A and §1771.
GEORGIA Effective October 1, 2011, every hard copy prescription drug order for any Schedule II controlled substance written in the State of Georgia by a practitioner must be written on Georgia approved Rx security paper. State of GEORGIA O.C.G.A. 26-4-80.1 applies to medication prescriptions written in the State of Georgia. Tamper Resistant SecureGuard™ Georgia Rx Paper is recognized as an approved Security Rx Paper for printing Georgia Scripts "In the event a prescription pad or paper containing the Board seal, sequential numbering, and a lot number is not available for the prescription and a medical health emergency exists, a prescription may be issued on paper meeting the requirements for approval for an amount of medication to cover not more than 30 days. The prescription must contain a statement that an emergency exists. All providers must have the board-approved security paper by March 31, 2012. This exception for emergencies only applies to prescriptions written before March 31, 2012." The Office of the Secretary of State December 14, 2011 Georgia Law requires all Schedule II controlled substances written by a practitioner must be written on Georgia State Security Paper. ALL OTHER MEDICATIONS can be written on STANDARD TAMPER RESISTANT Rx PAPER Secure Guard™ Tamper Resistant Laser Script Security Features Include: Gray Security Background The word "VOID" appears when script is photocopied Identifier Production Batch Number in the margin on the front of the sheet Consecutive Number as required by Georgia Law in the upper left-hand corner of the sheet. Erasure Protection White Mark appears when erased with ink eraser Security Watermark on back of sheet Hold on 45 degree angle to light to view When duplicated - Artificial Watermark is not visible on copy Coin activated Security on back of script Rub with coin to validate script Security Feature Warning Box on back of sheet Security Features listed in warning box on reverse side of script Reverse Rx Rx Symbol drops out when photocopied Black Georgia Seal of Approval in the lower right-hand corner of scripts Gray Rx SecureGuard border along edge of sheet UV Security Watermark Invisible Images are visible when viewed under black light
FLORIDA Effective July 1, 2011, all prescriptions for controlled substances written in the State of Florida must be on tamper resistant prescription paper and purchased from a Florida Department of Health approved printer. Secure Guard™ Tamper Resistant Rx Paper Products meet and exceed all Florida State and Medicaid Requirements. SecureGuard™ Rx Paper Products are manufactured by a Florida Department of Health approved manufacturer for tamper resistant Rx Paper products. Frequently Asked Questions from the Florida Department of Health Florida HB 7095 applies to medication prescriptions written in the State of Florida. Secure GuardTM Florida Rx Paper ~ Tamper Resistant Security Features Include: Tamper Resistant SECURITY FEATURES INCLUDE: 60# Security Offset Paper Unique Production Batch Number MUST APPEAR on the FRONT of every Script. This number must contain the THREE LETTERS (State Assigned printer identification), followed by 6 numbers which represent Year Month Day followed by the printers job identification number. There are to be no spaces, dashes or symbols nor any additional letters. i.e. ABC1111110000 In this example the batch number shows Florida Authorized Printer #ABC Date printed is November 11, 2011 The printers job number is 0000 Blue Security Background The word "VOID" appears when script is photocopied Erasure Protection White Mark appears when erased with ink eraser Acid Free Bond Prevents paper color deterioration Security Watermark on back of sheet Hold on 45 degree angle to light to view When duplicated - Artificial Watermark is not visible on copy Coin activated Security on back of Laser Scripts Rub with coin to validate script Security Feature Warning Box on back of sheet Security Features listed in warning box on reverse side of script It is important to note that copier technology is ever changing. Thus messages hidden on Document Security Paper will appear most of the time. However messages cannot be guaranteed to appear 100% of the time when used with all copiers or scanners. If a "Hidden Message" fails to appear, it does not mean a document is counterfeit. It means the recipient should check for additional features. FAQ ~ Frequently Asked Questions
WASHINGTON Effective July 1, 2010, all prescriptions written in Washington State must be on tamper resistant prescription paper (TRPP). Secure Guard™ Tamper Resistant Rx Paper Products meet and exceed all Washington State and Medicaid Requirements. SecureGuard™ Rx Paper Products are manufactured by a Washington State approved manufacturer for tamper resistant Rx Paper products. Frequently Asked Questions for Washington Pharmacists Secure GuardTM Washington Rx Paper Security Features (pdf file) Washington RCW 18.64.500 applies only to written medication prescriptions written in Washington State. Prescriptions written in another state are not required to be on Washington State Board of Pharmacy approved tamper resistant prescription paper or pads with the seal. Secure GuardTM Washington Rx Paper ~ Tamper Resistant Security Features Include: Gray Security Background The word "COPY" appears when script is photocopied Erasure Protection White Mark appears when erased with ink eraser Small Production Coded Batch Number in margins on back of sheet Security Watermark on back of sheet Hold on 45 degree angle to light to view When duplicated - Artificial Watermark is not visible on copy Coin activated Security on back of script Rub with coin to validate script Security Feature Warning Box on back of sheet Security Features listed in warning box on reverse side of script Reverse Rx Rx Symbol drops out when photocopied Secure Rub Color Change Ink Green Washington State Seal AND Green Rx letters along edge of sheet change to Yellow briefly when rubbed. UV Security Watermark Invisible Images are visible when viewed under black light

The Pharmacist's Security Feature Information Resource

Tamper Resistant Rx Pads Verify Security Features Tamper Resistant Pads Tamper Resistant Pads w/Color Change Ink

Tamper Resistant Laser Rx Paper Verify Security Features

Tamper Resistant Thermal Rx Paper Rolls Verify Security Features

• HIDDEN MESSAGE TECHNOLOGY^TM

  
  Words such as "VOID" and "COPY" appear on the copy
  when script is photocopied or scanned.

  The "HIDDEN MESSAGE TECHNOLOGY" (VOID background) feature is the most common and least dependable security feature.

  Words such as VOID and UNAUTHORIZED COPY should appear when a document is copied .....
  BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS APPEAR

  It's a fact.
  As digital technology continues to evolve and photo copier and scanner technology continues to improve, you may find that copies can be made without the hidden message appearing.
  There are dozens different patents as well as public domain methods used to print this technology. Unfortunately NONE of these techniques work 100% of the time on 100% of the copiers.

PHARMACIST:
If a "Hidden Message" fails to appear, it does not mean a document is counterfeit.
It means the recipient should check for additional features.

Question ~ I made a copy on my photocopier and the hidden message did not appear. Is this the indication of a counterfeit script?
Most likely NO.
Please Read EXPANDED ANSWER

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• SECURITY WARNING BANDS and BOXES

  
  

PHARMACIST:
Read the Security Feature Warning Box to identify the security features
included on the script in question. Various manufacturers may use a
different mix of security features.
There are many different ways to protect a document.

The Security Information Box acts as a deterrent to those considering making unauthorized copies.
• SECURITY BAND^TM
  A Warning Band on the front of the script describes Rx security features.
• SECURITY BOX^TM
  A Warning Box on the back of the script contains a list of Rx security features.
  

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• ANTI-COPY ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK^TM

  
  

PHARMACIST:
To verify a prescription is an original, turn over the script and tip it toward a light source.
If the watermark is difficult to view, adjust the angle at which you are holding the script to the light.

Yellow Highlight Marker Trick When rubbing the back of a script with a yellow marker, you may OR may not cause an artificial watermark to appear. It all depends upon the ink used to print the artificial watermark. In 2005, all paper was replaced by 92 or higher brightness paper. This brighter paper has made it more difficult to view the artificial watermark. For this reason, many security paper manufacturers have added a slight amount of color to the artificial watermark. This produces an artificial watermark that meets all security requirements since it is impossible to duplicate. It is easy to identify and can also be seen at a 45° angle. While using a yellow highlight marker may work, it is not a valid test nor recommended for use to validate an artificial watermark.

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• ANTI-COPY COIN RUB^TM

  
  Coin Activated Security Back Print
  Words "VALID” are hidden in circle on the back of the script.

PHARMACIST:
Rub a coin over the circle on the back of the script to activate this feature.

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• TONER BOND^TM SECURITY

  
  Paper Toner Fusion
  When present on Laser Prescription Paper, the feature prevents laser printed information from being removed from the surface of the paper using adhesive tape.

PHARMACIST:
When accepting a laser printed prescription, inspect the paper surface for damage under critical information. The act of lifting toner from a laser printed script will remove fibers and damage the paper surface.

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• PREMIUM ERASURE PROTECTION^TM ~

  
  If information is erased using an ink eraser, both the information and the shaded background is removed.

PHARMACIST:
Inspect the paper under critical information. The act of trying to remove ink using an ink eraser will cause the background color to be removed along with the ink.

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• BATCH NUMBER IDENTIFICATION^TM

  
  UNIQUE PRODUCTION BATCH NUMBERS
  A Unique Product Identification Number provides positive document identification information.
  

PHARMACIST:
A unique BATCH NUMBER may appear on each production run.
Batch Numbers may be printed in the margin, on the back
or in various other locations on a script.

Unique batch number codes may make it is possible to determine the date and location at which a specific production run was manufactured.

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• UV SECURE^TM
  Ultra Violet Light Security

  
  Words Printed in Secure "UV Ink" on back of sheet are only visible when viewed under "black Light".
  

PHARMACIST:
To verify an original script using this feature, hold the reverse side of the script under a black light. The hidden security words will appear. .

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Under Normal Light ====Under Black Light
Words "SECURE SECURE SECURE" appear when viewed under black light.

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• SECURE RUB (tm) Color Change Ink Feature

  
  Red "Rx" disappears briefly when rubbed.
  
  This feature may be manufactured using either
  Red OR Blue Color Change Ink.

PHARMACIST:
Rub on RED Rx or RED SECURITY BAR.
Color will change briefly when rubbed.
Please note, during hot weather, the heat may have caused the color to change.
In hot weather, to verify this feature, place script in the refrigerator for 30 seconds.
This will cause the color to return to it's original state.

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• Micro Line Printing in signature line

  
  A SECURITY SIGNATURE LINE or BORDER is created using a very small font that requires magnification to become legible.

PHARMACIST:
View the Micro Security Line under a magnifying glass.
Under magnification you can read the words SECURE PRESCRIPTION all run together
"SECUREPRESCRIPTION"

Note: Because of improved high resolution copier technology, it is possible for a "Micro Line" to be accurately duplicated without the words "filling in."

As with all security features, the fact that a feature fails to work as indicated does not mean a document is counterfeit.
It means the recipient should check for additional features.

Micro Line printing may be found as part of the border around the security feature warning box
on the back of the script. Words are visible under magnifying glass.

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Does the fact that a script has carbonless copies
meet any of the Medicaid Security Feature Requirements?

When considering the Medicaid guide lines
just because a script has carbon or carbonless copies DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE SCRIPT MEETS MEDICAID REQUIREMENTS.

A Multi-Part Script in itself, does not meet any of the Medicaid Requirements.
The value of a multi part script lies in the fact that the signature can be verified. Should there be a question, the original signature can be compared to the signature on the carbonless copy.

BUT the statue states that all written prescriptions must be "executed on a tamper resistant pad" (paper). Thus, features added to the prescription after they are printed (written) do not meet the requirement of the statute. "

In this case, the "signature" and the "act of comparing the copy to the original" is the feature that provides the security. Since the "signature" is being added to the script at the time the prescription is being executed, a multi-part pad in itself does not meet the Medicaid Requirements.

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