How to delegate e-prescriptions without compromising accuracy

Prescribing medications shouldn’t feel like a full-time job, but for many providers, it adds hours of work to already busy days.

Electronic prescribing (also known as e-prescribing or eRx) order delegation lets clinical staff handle prescription prep so providers can focus on patient care — without compromising accuracy or compliance.

This article answers the most common questions about eRx order delegation, and how to use it to build a faster, more reliable electronic prescription workflow.

eRx order delegation allows trained, non-prescribing staff, like medical assistants and nurses, to initiate and queue up electronic prescriptions for a licensed provider. The provider then reviews, approves, and electronically transmits the prescription to the pharmacy. 

E-prescription order delegation:

Even in modern practices, prescribing workflows often remain surprisingly manual — and inefficient. 

Medication errors come with a high financial cost — and risk for patients.

Nearly 50% of all medication errors happen during the prescribing stage. Errors can delay treatment, cause adverse reactions, or lead to unnecessary readmissions.

According to the National Library of Medicine, medication errors cost the United States an estimated $40 billion annually in healthcare costs, disability, and lost productivity.

Manual prescribing creates more points of failure. Delegating routine eRx tasks to clinical staff within a controlled, compliant system helps reduce these risks and improves outcomes across the board.

Delegating eRx tasks helps clinical teams move faster. Instead of entering every prescription, providers can focus on reviews and approvals.

Built-in validations also catch common errors before prescriptions are transmitted. Practices using Tebra’s full suite of eRx enhancements, including order delegation and batch prescribe, report up to an 80% reduction in prescribing time.

They also see, on average, 35% fewer medication errors through Tebra's eRx software.

Ashley Barajas, Medical Administrative Assistant at Foothills Pain Management Clinic and Tebra customer, shared the following about Tebra's eRx solutions: "We tend to prescribe controlled and non-controlled meds often, so this is definitely going to help a lot of our providers.”

Delegating e-prescriptions is safe and compliant — with the right controls in place. Tebra’s order delegation feature was built with these concerns in mind.

Most states allow clinical staff, such as medical assistants, to participate in electronic prescription delegation under the supervision of a licensed provider.

For controlled substances, the provider must be enrolled in Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS) and is always the one who transmits the order. Always check to ensure compliance with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and state regulations.

Tebra’s workflow keeps the provider in control at every step:

Built-in automations flag potential issues like allergy risks or duplicate therapies before sending to the pharmacy.

Tebra’s eRx Order Delegation was designed to ease provider workload without compromising safety or control.

Here’s how it helps your team prescribe confidently and compliantly:

These safeguards reduce medication errors and support compliance — all while streamlining the process for busy practices.

Fabius Santos, founder of Optimal Psychiatry and Wellness and Tebra customer, shares the following about Tebra's prescription features: "I do think that with the EHR it's so important to have… the functionality of Tebra … being able to prescribe medicines and be able to look at patients’ medications they've already been on. There's things I didn't even know existed before the EHR when I used them."

Getting started with eRx order delegation is simple — and highly effective. Here’s how to roll it out in your practice:

Confirm which staff roles (e.g., MAs, nurses) can legally assist with e-prescribing under supervision.

Assign appropriate permissions so non-prescribing staff can queue orders.

Walk through the delegation workflow in Tebra, including how to prep orders, locate the Pending Orders link, and flag issues.

Ensure providers consistently review and approve orders before anything is sent to the pharmacy.

Monitor prescribing efficiency and accuracy to fine-tune your delegation protocols over time.

Hannah Abrams, Product Marketing Manager at Tebra, shares this about eRx order delegation: "Our goal with eRx order delegation was to reduce the burden of manual prescribing without sacrificing accuracy or control. By enabling clinical staff to queue prescriptions in a compliant, role-based workflow, providers can stay focused on patient care while maintaining complete oversight."

Manual prescribing slows care and adds to burnout. Delegating eRx tasks in a structured workflow helps teams move faster — without sacrificing safety.

Ready to simplify prescribing? Schedule a free walkthrough to see how eRx delegation works in action.