Certification validates the FDB Vela™ commitment to strong cybersecurity and meeting key regulations to protect sensitive data
FDB Vela™ ePrescribing network has earned HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certified status, the highest level of information protection assurance. First Databank owns and operates the network.
FDB Vela, launched in March 2022, is a cloud-native ePrescribing network that enables the seamless flow of critical medication prescription information, benefits verification and clinical decision support between prescribers, payers, pharmacies and other constituents.
HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certified status demonstrates that FDB Vela has met demanding regulatory compliance and industry-defined requirements and is appropriately managing risk. This achievement places FDB in an elite group of organizations worldwide that have earned this certification. By including federal and state regulations, standards and frameworks and by incorporating a risk-based approach, the HITRUST Assurance Program helps organizations address security and data protection challenges through a comprehensive and flexible framework of prescriptive and scalable security controls.
“FDB Vela was launched last year on the core belief that an ePrescribing network should be open, highly scalable and flexible while offering cybersecurity peace of mind across all our participants,” said FDB President Bob Katter. “Earning the HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certified Certification so soon after our launch demonstrates to health IT developers, pharmacies, providers and payers that FDB Vela has achieved the highest standards for data protection and information security while empowering participation and fostering innovation.”
To achieve the HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year Certification, FDB Vela surpassed requirements across various comprehensive cybersecurity and data protection domains. The certification process also includes testing of controls developed from input from over 100 security professionals.
“HITRUST Certification is globally recognized as validation that information security and privacy controls are effective and compliant with various regulations,” said HITRUST Chief Innovation Officer Jeremy Huval. “HITRUST Certification is considered the gold standard because of the comprehensiveness and applicability of the control requirements, depth of the assurance process and level of oversight that ensures accuracy. Individually, each element exceeds most other programs and collectively they make HITRUST Certification the most comprehensive, transparent, consistent and highest quality assessment available.”
Along with its demonstrated security controls, FDB Vela is built on a highly scalable and fully redundant platform hosted on Microsoft® Azure servers. FDB Vela includes API integration enabling electronic health record (EHR) developers to readily tap into features such as real-time pharmacy benefit services and electronic routing for specialty drugs to create services, customize ePrescribing workflows and streamline processes. FDB Vela also supports all ePrescribing standards set by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) and other pharmacy organizations.
“We built FDB Vela with a ‘security-first’ architecture, an industry-recognized term that means it was developed using rigorous protocols and design elements that HITRUST and other cybersecurity authorities evaluate during their certification processes,” said FDB Vela General Manager Lathe Bigler. “By starting with a security-first mindset and leveraging the latest secure technologies in our design, FDB Vela earned HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certification in only six months, which is a remarkable achievement. Our commitment to protecting patients and our network participants will continue in the years ahead as we diligently maintain and proactively improve our controls well ahead of cybersecurity risks.”