Closing the loop on medications and inventory
AzHeC carries Arizona's electronic-prescribing legacy forward. This work area explains how a prescription becomes a dispensed medication, how the drugs and supplies behind it move through a serialized supply chain, and how the standards — NCPDP SCRIPT, EPCS, DSCSA, GS1 — let prescribing, dispensing and inventory finally speak the same language.
Prescribing and supply are one connected workflow
A prescription does not end when a clinician clicks "send." It travels across the NCPDP SCRIPT standard to a pharmacy, draws down physical stock, triggers replenishment, and — for controlled substances and tracked drugs — leaves a regulated trail under EPCS and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act. When these systems are interoperable, the right medication reaches the right patient and the inventory record stays honest. When they are not, the gaps show up as duplicate orders, stockouts, and reconciliation errors.
As a vendor-neutral convener, AzHeC explains how these pieces connect from the published standards out — not from any product catalog.
The four topics in this work area
From the prescription itself to the supply chain that fulfills it, each topic explains one link in the medication-and-supply loop.
Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Fundamentals
The NCPDP SCRIPT standard, the e-prescribing workflow, EPCS for controlled substances, and how medication history reduces errors.
Read morePharmaceutical Supply-Chain Integration
DSCSA track-and-trace, package-level serialization, GS1 product identifiers, and connecting dispensing signals to replenishment.
Read moreAutomated Dispensing & Medication Supplies
How automated dispensing cabinets tie back to the EHR and pharmacy system, par-level stocking, and the safety checks built into closed-loop dispensing.
Read moreSupply Interoperability & Inventory Visibility
Using HL7, GS1 and UDI so devices and supplies are tracked dock-to-bedside, and inventory reconciles with the clinical record.
Read moreFrequently asked questions
01Does AzHeC recommend particular pharmacy or supply software?
No. AzHeC is a vendor-neutral convener. Everything here is explained from the published standards — NCPDP SCRIPT, EPCS, DSCSA, GS1 — so the guidance applies regardless of which systems an organization runs. We do not endorse, rank or sell products.
02How does e-prescribing connect to the supply chain?
Prescribing and dispensing generate demand signals. When those signals are interoperable, they can inform replenishment and inventory visibility — while serialization standards like DSCSA make sure the physical product moving through the chain can be verified and traced.
03Where should I start?
Most readers start with Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Fundamentals, since the prescription is the first link in the chain, then move outward to supply-chain integration, automated dispensing, and inventory visibility.
Have a pharmacy-interoperability question?
AzHeC convenes hospitals, clinics, labs, pharmacies, payers and state agencies around the standards that connect them. If your organization is working through eRx, supply-chain or inventory interoperability, we are glad to talk.