# Rcopia: Prescribe Medications

This guide walks prescribers through the process of writing prescriptions using the DrFirst Rcopia panel embedded within Welkin Health.

## Accessing the prescribing panel

1. Log in to the Welkin Care portal
2. Open the patient record for the person you want to prescribe for
3. Navigate to the encounter or the section where the eRx panel is configured
4. The Rcopia panel will load with the patient's information pre-populated

If the panel does not load automatically, click the **Prescribe** button in the patient chart header.

## Writing a new prescription

### Step 1: Search for a medication

1. In the Rcopia panel, click **New Rx** or the **+** button
2. Type the medication name (brand or generic) in the search field
3. Select the correct medication from the dropdown – results include strength and formulation options
4. Rcopia will display formulary status and any drug interaction alerts at this point

### Step 2: Complete prescription details

Fill in the required fields:

* **Dose and strength** – select from the available options or enter manually
* **Sig (directions)** – choose a standard sig or type custom directions (e.g., "Take 1 tablet by mouth twice daily with food")
* **Quantity** – number of units to dispense
* **Days supply** – used for pharmacy dispensing and insurance adjudication
* **Refills** – number of authorized refills (controlled substances may have restrictions)
* **Pharmacy** – search by name or zip code, or select the patient's preferred pharmacy

### Step 3: Review alerts

Before signing, Rcopia will display any:

* **Drug-drug interactions** – potential interactions with current medications
* **Drug-allergy alerts** – conflicts with documented patient allergies
* **Formulary alerts** – if the medication is not covered by the patient's insurance

Review each alert and document your clinical reasoning before overriding.

### Step 4: Sign and transmit

* For **non-controlled substances**: click **Sign & Send** to transmit the prescription electronically to the selected pharmacy
* For **controlled substances (EPCS)**: click **Sign**, then enter your two-factor authentication code and EPCS passphrase to complete the signing process

The prescription is transmitted to the pharmacy immediately upon signing. Welkin records the prescription in the patient's medication history.

## Managing existing medications

In the **Medications** tab of the Rcopia panel you can:

* **Renew** an existing prescription (pre-fills the previous prescription details)
* **Discontinue** a medication and document the reason
* **View history** of all prescriptions sent for the patient

## Printing prescriptions

For situations where electronic transmission is not available (e.g., the patient needs a paper copy):

1. Complete the prescription as above but select **Print** instead of **Sign & Send**
2. The prescription will be formatted with the required legal elements
3. Sign the printed prescription per your state regulations

Printed prescriptions for controlled substances are subject to additional state requirements and may not be available for EPCS medications.

## Troubleshooting

If the Rcopia panel shows an error or the patient information is missing, see [eRx IDP Quick Tips](/integrations/drfirst-erx/erx-idp-quick-tips.md) or contact your Welkin administrator.


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