User Roles and Permissions In CalMHSA Rx
Users can access CalMHSA Rx ONLY through SmartCare.
Roles in SmartCare are NOT same as roles in CalMHSA Rx.
Key Decision to Assign SmartCare Roles in CalMHSA Rx (Clinical vs Non-Clinical Roles)
SmartCare and CalMHSA Rx applications have their ‘OWN’ roles and permissions that guide what an account is allowed to do in their respective system. For a user to have access to both SmartCare and CalMHSA Rx they must have an account in each system mapped together by their StaffId (SmartCare StaffId) and have the proper permissions and roles granted.
CalMHSA team works closely with the delegated team at County to ensure that correct appropriate roles are assigned to each user (Please refer to Instructions on County Set-Up Package).
The table below recommends the ‘best matched’ equivalent roles in SmartCare and CalMHSA Rx. It is ultimately a
county’s decision to allocate these roles to ensure patient safety, privacy and compliance to prescribing regulations.
| Roles in CalMHSA Rx | Roles in SmartCare |
|---|---|
| Provider: Any user that will be prescribing with their own license. Examples: physician, chiropractor, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, dentist, etc. | Prescriber Medication Rx Prescriber IP/CSU/Res Medical Supervisor |
| Clinical Staff: A user with the ability to create and queue prescriptions for providers to sign and send. They can add/edit patient medications & allergies in addition to functions detailed in the Non-Clinical Staff role type. | Medical Supervisor Medication Rx Nurse IP/CSU/Res |
| Provider Agent: Any clinical staff that is also able to send a non-controlled prescription electronically to a pharmacy on a provider’s behalf, with the provider signing off on the prescription later. Only the provider can enable or disable their provider agents (see separate manual for this functionality). | Medical Supervisor Medication Rx Nurse IP/CSU/Res |
| Student Staff: Much like Clinical Staff, except they cannot print prescriptions or be set as a Provider Agent. They can add/edit client medications or allergies. | Medical Supervisor Medication Rx Add Medications Prescribed Elsewhere |
| Non-Clinical Staff: Designate patient default pharmacy, and view prescription report. They cannot add/edit client medications or allergies. | County Sys Admins Pharmacists Add Pharmacies to Rx |
| Front Desk Staff: Designate patient default pharmacy. They cannot add/edit client medications or allergies. They cannot see client’s prescriptions. | Front Desk Staff |
In CalMHSA Rx:
- ‘Client’ is same as ‘Patient’
- ‘County’ is same as ‘Practice’
- ‘Location’ is same as ‘Program
SmartCare Roles
The SmartCare roles that are permissioned to allow for accessing the CalMHSA Rx screen are listed below.
- Prescriber
- Medication Rx
- Medical Supervisor
- Nurse IP/CSU/Res
- Prescriber IP/CSU/Res
- Add Medications Prescribed Elsewhere – Only gives access to ‘Client Summary’ link on CalMHSA Rx transition screen.
- Add Pharmacies to Rx – Only gives access to ‘Client Summary’ link on CalMHSA Rx transition screen.
Â
NOTE: The Add Medications Prescribed Elsewhere and Add Pharmacies to Rx roles have recently had their permissions reduced to just having access to the Client Summary link on the CalMHSA Rx transition screen. This effort is being made to align system access with role-based responsibilities. This will limit access to those CalMHSA RX screens, and these roles will not be able to see other clients beyond the client that was selected in SmartCare.
CalMHSA Rx Roles and their Definitions
Accounts and Roles within CalMHSA Rx are what give access to features in CalMHSA Rx. These roles should be granted based on the job duties of the staff. The definition of each role is given below.
- Provider: Any user that will be prescribing with their own license. Examples: physician, chiropractor, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, dentist, etc.
- Clinical Staff: A user with the ability to create and queue prescriptions for providers to sign and send. They can add/edit patient medications & allergies in addition to functions detailed in the Non-Clinical Staff role
- Provider Agent: Any clinical staff that is also able to send a non-controlled prescription electronically to a pharmacy on a provider’s behalf, with the provider signing off on the prescription Only the provider can enable or disable their provider agents (see separate manual for this functionality).
- Student Staff: Much like Clinical Staff, except they cannot print prescriptions or be set as a Provider Agent. They can add/edit client medications or allergies.
- Non-Clinical Staff: Designate patient default pharmacy, and view prescription report. They cannot add/edit client medications or allergies.
- Front Desk Staff: Designate patient default They cannot add/edit client medications or allergies. They are unable to see any prescriptions or added medications for the client.
Â
Â
Please feel free to contact CalMHSA Help Desk for account and role set-up and for seeking further clarifications.
- Last Updated: October 6, 2025