Change Healthcare Resumes ePrescribing Services Following Cyber Attack

Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth, has successfully implemented a new instance of its ePrescribing service for all customers, following a recent cyberattack that affected the U.S. healthcare system. The company reported the completion of setting up the new instance on its status page.

In response to the cyberattack, Change Healthcare conducted testing with vendors and multiple retail pharmacy partners to address transaction types that were initially impacted. While progress has been made, the company provided a subsequent update, indicating that its Clinical Exchange ePrescribing providers’ tools are still non-operational.

The ePrescribing service plays a crucial role for pharmacies by streamlining the prescription process and reducing the need for manual prescription writing and other cumbersome methods. Meanwhile, the Clinical Exchange ePrescribing service caters to healthcare providers.

UnitedHealth, the parent company, is actively working on restoring the online pharmacy network in a separate environment. The company aims to scale this environment and establish comprehensive connections with pharmacies and payers. UnitedHealth expressed confidence in announcing a timeline for the pharmacy switch launch early next week, emphasizing that this network will facilitate pharmacy claim submissions.

Since the cyberattack, pharmacies across the United States have faced disruptions, affecting electronic pharmacy refills and insurance transactions. The attack was attributed to the “Blackcat” ransomware group, who disclosed their involvement last Wednesday. The repercussions of the hack prompted Change Healthcare and UnitedHealth to take swift action to address the issues and restore normalcy to the affected services.

As the situation unfolds, stakeholders in the healthcare system closely monitor the developments, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard critical healthcare infrastructure. The collaborative efforts between Change Healthcare, UnitedHealth, and other partners reflect a concerted response to mitigate the impact of the cyberattack on essential healthcare services. The upcoming pharmacy switch launch is anticipated to play a pivotal role in restoring seamless operations and ensuring the secure submission of pharmacy claims.