CMS Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS) Program
Attention Prescribers: Make Sure Your Info Is Up to Date in PECOS and NPPES by July 1, 2026
In summer 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will conduct its analysis of prescriber compliance with the CMS Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS) Program requirement for measurement year (MY) 2025.
As part of this analysis and for important follow-up communication, CMS uses prescribers’ contact information available in the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) and in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). This means that each prescriber must make sure their email and mailing addresses in those systems are up to date as soon as possible or risk having inaccurate information reflected in CMS’ analysis of prescriber compliance which may delay receipt of the non-compliance notice, if applicable.
To ensure that CMS has prescribers’ most up-to-date information for the MY 2025 compliance analysis period, we ask that prescribers update their email and mailing addresses in PECOS and NPPES by Wednesday, July 1, 2026. However, note that prescribers will still be able to update their information in these systems after this date.
CMS uses these mailing addresses in PECOS and NPPES as the data sources for identifying which prescribers qualify for the EPCS Program’s automatic declared disaster exception. It also uses these email and mailing addresses and systems for sending each prescriber identified by CMS as non-compliant with the EPCS Program requirement for MY 2025 the non-compliance notice during the notification period in September 2026.
CMS uses email and United States Postal Service (USPS) to send notices to non-compliant prescribers each measurement year. By making sure their email and mailing addresses are up to date in these systems, prescribers ensure their timely receipt of the notices and, therefore, the opportunity to submit a waiver application on the CMS EPCS Prescriber Portal to become compliant with the program requirement for MY 2025.
To learn how to check or update your information in PECOS, watch the PECOS enrollment tutorial. For NPPES, review the Managing Your NPI Record section of the NPPES FAQs webpage.
CMS EPCS Program Support
CMS is committed to providing support and resources to prescribers included in the CMS EPCS Program.
