Digital Exceptional Access Program requests

Learn about the Special Authorization Digital Information Exchange, the digital portal for submitting Exceptional Access Program requests for Ontario Drug Benefit recipients

What is the Special Authorization Digital Information Exchange?

The Special Authorization Digital Information Exchange (SADIE) is a digital portal for submitting electronic requests to the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program’s Exceptional Access Program (EAP) for qualified recipients. It is also used to submit coverage requests for additional Blood Glucose Test Strips and registrations for the Inherited Metabolic Disease program.

You can create and submit a request for any EAP drug or indication through SADIE. There are criteria-specific forms for more than 400 drug and indication combinations, with more being added each month. If a specific form for your request isn’t available, you can use a generic one.

The benefits of SADIE include:

Online forms prompt for all required information, resulting in fewer requests for additional information
Decisions are up to 50 per cent faster than fax and mail-ins, with most SADIE responses received within two to three days
You can track the status of your EAP requests and access the ministry response letters online
You can set up your support staff as a delegate or designate and they can complete some or all the submission work for you

Why was SADIE developed?

The Ministry of Health developed SADIE as part of modernizing the Exceptional Access Program to support a digitally enabled health-care system. Digital submissions are intended to improve the EAP process for prescribers and result in faster decisions and access to medication for patients.

Contact the SADIE team

For all other information or to book a demo, visit the website or email SADIE@ontario.ca.

For help with technical issues or to speak with someone at the Ministry of Health, call Inquiry Services at 1-800-262-6524, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Resources

Special Authorization Digital Information Exchange (MOH)

Advocating for you

The OMA and OMD recognize that SADIE presents challenges for some physicians. Staff consulted with physicians and advocated to the Ministry of Health for changes that will make the online EAP request process easier for you.

Physician wellness and reducing contributors to burnout are important considerations highlighted in our conversations when advocating for changes to improve SADIE.

Areas that we are advocating for include:

Prioritizing EMR integration for the future to reduce manual data entry
Integrating the use of SADIE seamlessly into your clinic workflow
Improving user experience of the platform with fewer clicks and less scrolling
Ensuring SADIE EAP forms require only necessary information

Frequently asked questions

Not yet. You still have the option of using the fax-based system; however, at some point in the future, the ministry will end the fax-based system and you will need to use SADIE to submit all EAP requests. Fax-based requests were originally set to end on Dec. 31, 2021; however, this date has been pushed back due to advocacy work by the OMA and OMD. A new deadline for ending the fax-based program has not yet been set.

No. The OMA has advised the ministry that EMR integration is important to physicians. The ministry is working with its digital partners on an integration solution, however, no timing has been provided yet.

Although SADIE does not currently integrate with EMR systems, notifications are sent to your email inbox letting you know that a decision to your EAP request is available for you in SADIE. You can download and import the EAP decision letter from SADIE into your EMR if you choose. The same notifications are sent to your delegate’s or designate’s email inbox.

In addition to email notifications, EAP decision letters continue to be faxed back to the prescriber’s office. If your office has faxes set up to automatically upload to your EMR, then the decision letter will be available through the EMR.

No. As with requests submitted through fax or Telephone Request Service, it is considered a part of the service rendered.

To access SADIE, you will need:

An OHIP billing number
An active solo practitioner GO Secure account
- This is often the same GO secure account that you use for your Medical Claims Electronic Data Transfer (MCEDT), so be aware of this if changing passwords. If you change your password for GO Secure, make a note that this is also your new billing password
- If you have a group GO Secure account, you will need to apply for a solo practitioner GO Secure account to use SADIE
To be enrolled with the MCEDT service
An up-to-date Internet browser: the most updated version of Chrome is recommended (Internet Explorer will not work with SADIE)

To sign in:

Visit Ontario.ca/SADIE and click on the SADIE login button, this will take you to the GO Secure page
Log in to GO Secure
Select Special Authorization Digital Information Exchange from the services drop-down menu

Visit www.Ontario.ca/SADIE and click on the “SADIE Login” button. This will take you to the GO Secure registration page, where you can select “Don’t have a GO Secure account? Register now” to begin.

Call Inquiry Services at 1-800-262-6524 (after the language prompts, press 2-3) and they can find out for you. Inquiry Services is available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Delegate:

Can complete and submit requests to the EAP on your behalf

Designate:

Can prepare an EAP request for you or your delegate to review and submit

You may choose to set up support staff as either a delegate or a designate depending on your trusted relationship with them or the position that they hold.

Examples of delegates and designates could include: