CVS Caremark is expanding its use of Surescripts’ Touchless Prior Authorization platform to accelerate approvals for select specialty medications.
The prior authorization technology connects directly to patients’ EHRs to gather required clinical data and match it with prior authorization criteria, according to a Feb. 25 news release. When requirements are met, CVS Caremark can approve medications automatically in as little as 22 seconds.
The platform is currently used for select specialty drugs, including Vivitrol and Epidiolex, which treat substance use disorder and epilepsy. These medications typically require complex approvals because of their high impact and specialized clinical use cases.
In 2025, CVS Caremark’s broader tech-enabled prior authorization efforts reduced median processing time to 34 minutes from two to three hours in 2024. Nearly 4 million prior authorizations were approved automatically through these initiatives, the release said.
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