Medical Device blog by Phil Englert, Health-ISAC VP of Medical Device Security
By Phil Englert
As Erin Hager, a Diversion Investigator with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), outlined the alarming extent and methods of fraud within electronic prescribing systems for controlled substances, everything clicked. Drug fraud, a concern I had often heard of throughout my healthcare career, always felt like a distant problem – someone else’s to solve. But as I reflected on the role of medical device maintenance, the connection became clear: while not direct targets, these devices often serve as entry points because of weak controls and systemic access to interconnected data systems.
Electronic prescription (eRx) fraud is a mounting crisis in healthcare, bringing with it severe financial, ethical and public health repercussions. Originally designed to streamline prescribing, reduce errors and combat written prescription fraud, eRx systems also aimed to curb over-prescribing and medication misuse, particularly opioids. However, the very interconnectedness of these systems has made them vulnerable to advanced fraud schemes.
