Less than 2% of Prescribers Utilizing EPCS

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Surescripts recently released its 2014 National Progress Report and one of the most startling findings is that only 1.4% of providers are enabled for Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS).1

A much larger percent of pharmacies are setup to utilize EPCS. The national average of pharmacies enabled for EPCS is 74.9%.  A state by state comparison of the percent of pharmacies with EPCS capability, can be found on our EPCS page.

Even though EPCS is now legal in 49 states and D.C., its growth has been rather slow compared to the rates of non-controlled e-Prescribing. Surescripts’ report also found that 67%, or 1.2 billion, of all new prescriptions in 2014 were e-Prescribed. However, while there was a 400% increase in controlled substance e-Prescribing from 2013 to 2014, the number of controlled substance prescriptions was only 1.67 million.

 

Out of almost 70,000 total pharmacies and more than half a million e-Prescribing prescribers, the amount of pharmacies utilizing EPCS far surpasses the amount of prescribers.

 

While the statistics are surprising considering EPCS has been legal since 2010, there are several factors involved in the low percentage of prescribers. These include issues such as their software not being ready to meet the DEA requirements, as well as the number of steps that prescribers must go through to be setup for EPCS.

Though the steps involved may seem complex, e-Prescribing vendors are doing their best to make the process as smooth as possible for prescribers to utilize this important technology. MDToolbox has created a simple 4-step process that walks prescribers through completing the DEA requirements for EPCS that can be completed within minutes.* We also provide this EPCS solution as an integration option so that EHRs and other technology vendors can add the streamlined process to their existing workflow.

There are several benefits of EPCS including increasing patient safety and security, as well as reducing fraud and abuse. The easier it is for prescribers to setup and use EPCS, the more likely they will be to take advantage of the benefits and increase their usage.

Click here for more on EPCS for prescribers

Click here for more on EPCS for technology vendors

*Time varies based on token selection and results of identity verification

1.  2014 National Progress Report http://surescripts.com/news-center/national-progress-report-2014#public

Texas Department of Public Safety Guidelines for EPCS

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The recent rescheduling of hydrocodone combination products and the requirement to use special approved prescription paper for Schedule II drugs in Texas, has caused many prescribers to turn to e-Prescribing as an alternative. As prescribers look to this electronic alternative, there are several questions that come up as the Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas DPS) has given out some state specific guidelines. Here’s what prescribers need to know:

Is e-Sending Schedule II drugs allowed in Texas?

In October of 2013 the Texas DPS accepted the same requirements, with a few updates of their own, as the DEA in regards to sending Schedule II controlled substances electronically. 1

What are the Texas State Guidelines?

In order to comply with the Texas DPS guidelines, there are several things prescribers must be aware of and know before they start using an EPCS program. Prescribers must make sure that their vendor is certified by the DEA, meaning that they passed the required third party audit. Prescribers will also want to be sure that the vendor has EPCS capability activated for their state. Prescribers must also make sure that all their necessary credentials are included when e-Sending a prescription.

DPS, DEA and APN Numbers

The numbers prescribers now put down for paper prescriptions, their DPS, DEA and APN numbers for advanced practice nurses must also be on their electronic prescriptions as well. When prescribers are setting up their e-prescribing account they want to make sure that this information can be entered in the appropriate fields.

APNs will also enter their prescriptive authority identification number for all prescriptions written.  APNs and physicians assistants with prescriptive authority should also keep in mind they must include the DEA and DPS number of their supervising practitioner on all prescriptions schedules III-V.2

Control Numbers

Paper prescriptions written in the state of Texas for schedule II drugs require that each prescription be printed on DPS required paper that has a unique Control Number listed for the pharmacy to record. With e-prescribing all control number information, locating, and documenting is now handled entirely on the pharmacies end electronically.

What Does This Mean Now?

Texas DPS completed their beta testing of EPCS March 1, 2014. The purpose of which was to monitor Schedule II prescriptions for abuse, prescribing patterns, patients attempting to get prescriptions from multiple doctors, and fraudulent prescriptions. Also, to make sure all reporting on both the provider’s end and the pharmacy’s end was done accurately and in a timely manner.

After the results of the testing came back, the outcome was clear. Provider’s information was safer, as their DPS and DEA numbers were no longer floating around on written prescriptions for people to try to forge prescriptions with. The DPS information is also now easier and faster to track with everything being electronic. Patients’ information was also safer and relayed faster as there was no longer the constant need to rely on a phone or fax for patient information that may or may not have made it to the desired party on the other end.

Electronically prescribing controlled substances has proven to not only be a viable alternative to paper prescriptions in Texas, but an improvement. To get more information on EPCS or to start sending controlled substance electronically contact us at info@mdtoolbox.com or visit our EPCS page.

  1. https://www.pharmacy.texas.gov/EPCS.asp
  2. http://www.dps.texas.gov/RSD/ControlledSubstances/News/index.htm.

Hydrocodone Rescheduling Effective October 6, 2014

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DEA ISSUES FINAL RULING FOR HCPs TO BE RESCHEDULED FROM CLASS III TO CLASS II

The DEA has officially ruled that all hydrocodone combination products or HCPs (ex: Vicodin and Lortab) are to be rescheduled, moving them from Schedule III to II based on the Controlled Substances Act1. The ruling was made official August 22, 2014 and will be put into effect starting October 6, 2014.

 

HOW DOES THIS EFFECT PRESRCIBING?

Starting next week, all HCPs will be schedule II controlled substances (CS). This will cause several things to change and impact providers, as well as patients alike. Providers will no longer be able to write prescriptions for HCPs with refills and they will be limited to a 3 month supply at most (the rule also mandates that doctors must write the prescriptions in 30-day increments that can only be filled sequentially). Pain patients using the drugs will have to visit their doctors every three months for a new prescription. The rule also limits which providers in certain states can write these prescriptions, as well as how they can be sent.

Due to HCPs now being a schedule II CS, only practitioners registered with the DEA will be able to prescribe the drugs. However, some states have separate laws in place that limit this even further.  For example, in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina nurse practitioners are not allowed to prescribe, administer, or dispense schedule II CSs.

Providers are only left with two options for prescribing these schedule II drugs:

Paper Prescriptions 

According to the DEA, prescriptions for schedule II CSs cannot be phoned in or faxed to a pharmacy with the exception of emergency situations. In the case one of the situations comes to pass, the provider that authorized the emergency oral prescription has 7 days to produce a paper prescription to the pharmacy, which can be hand delivered or mailed if post marked within the 7 day period. If a prescription is faxed, it cannot be dispensed until a physical copy of the prescription is presented and reviewed. A prescription for a schedule II CS must be written with ink, indelible pencil, typed, or generated by an electronic system on tamper-proof prescription forms and hand signed if they are to be hand delivered to the pharmacy.

Electronic Prescriptions

The second way that a provider can prescribe a schedule II drug is through e-Prescribing. EPCS, or Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances, offers a viable solution for prescribers to not only meet the DEA requirements for schedule II prescriptions, but increase their workflow and patient safety at the same time.   With Electronic Prescriptions, the prescriber also must sign each prescription but instead of using ink, he uses a digital signature that is generated with a two-factor sign-off credential.  When the prescription is sent electronically the pharmacist can see that the order was electronically signed and knows that it came from the prescriber and was not forged.    EPCS is approved for Prescribers in 49 states for Schedule III-V and in 47 States for Schedule II drugs, meaning in most of the U.S. prescribers can use EPCS to safely send Vicodin and other schedule II drugs.

MDToolbox has made the process easy and straightforward for providers.  When a provider first signs up for EPCS, they will go through an identity proofing process and set up their two factor credentials. Once set up is complete, writing and sending a prescription for a CS is just as easy as a non CS, the only difference being entering the two-factor signing credentials that assures it is the doctor authorizing the prescription.   To get more information on how EPCS works, or to find out about signing up for our EPCS Stand Alone or EHR Integration Add on, contact us at info@mdtoolbox.com or visit our EPCS page.

 

    1. http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2014/fr0822.htm

EPCS Status Update

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With only three states left to approve EPCS and a few others working on their final requirements, EPCS is gaining great traction in 2014.  As more and more pharmacies come online every day, MDToolbox is excited to be at the forefront of helping HIT vendors and physicians take the next step – and send ALL prescriptions electronically.     

What states are we still watching? 

And then there were 3 - Arkansas, Montana, and Rhode Island

Arkansas, Montana, and Rhode Island are the three states where EPCS still remains unavailable as their state governments sort out the differences in the State Laws versus the DEA rulings.  Arkansas made progress by passing Act 1331 in April of 2013 to clarify that electronic prescribing of controlled substances is permitted.  Furthermore, the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy had a public hearing scheduled to discuss the changes in February 2014, but it was postponed until March due to poor weather conditions.  Rhode Island also passed a similar bill, SB 647, in June of 2013 which states, “A practitioner may sign and transmit electronic prescriptions for controlled substances.”  However, further clarification is still needed from all three states before EPCS is allowed.  Stay tuned as we will post any updates as soon as we get them!   

Oregon

While Oregon is listed as allowing Schedule II-V substances to be sent electronically on the Surescripts map, Schedule II substances can actually only be legally e-Prescribed in emergency situations.    A bill was introduced on February 3, 2014, that if approved would allow all controlled substances including Schedule II drugs to be electronically sent in non-emergency situations as well.

New York

All eyes are on New York as they are leading the way by being the first state to mandate that all prescriptions be sent electronically.  It was almost a year ago that EPCS became legal in the state of New York.  As of March 27, 2013, amendments to Title 10 NYCRR Part 80 Rules and Regulations on Controlled Substances went into effect, technically allowing providers in New York to electronically prescribe Schedule II-V drugs1.  However, the actual implementation of EPCS has been slower than expected as the state of New York was overdue finalizing its registration process.  Pharmacies and providers are still currently struggling to meet all the requirements. 

It was not until January 23, 2014 that Surescripts was able to turn on EPCS functionality for the State of New York.  Currently, out of 5,579 registered New York pharmacies there are only about 850 listed as being able to receive electronic controlled substance prescriptions on the Surescripts network.  As we mentioned in our post about the Evolution of EPCS, pharmacy software must go through a DEA Certification or third-party audit to verify they comply with the strict regulations put in place by the DEA and through a Surescripts certification.  In addition, pharmacies in New York are also required to submit dispensing data for controlled substances using the American Society for Automation in Pharmacy (ASAP) format Version 4.2 or greater2

It is not only the pharmacies in New York that have to go through extra steps to use EPCS, the prescribers do as well.  The New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE) recently released registration packets that are required for each prescriber who would like to transmit electronic prescriptions for controlled substances.  All prescribers must register their electronic prescribing software and be able to provide proof of a DEA certification or third party audit verifying the software meets the federal security requirements for transmitting controlled substance prescriptions electronically.  The DEA requires that all prescribers go through strict identity proofing and receive two-factor authentication credentials for EPCS.  Prescribers must attest that they have personally met these federal requirements when registering with the BNE as well. 

With the New York I-STOP Law mandating that ALL prescriptions be electronically sent by March 27, 2015 with limited exceptions, providers only have a little over a year to register and begin using EPCS certified software.

MDToolbox is prepared and ready to help any providers meet this fast approaching deadline.   We are currently offering free EPCS software tokens for a year to any providers that sign up.  Check out our EPCS page and contact us at info@mdtoolbox.com for more information. 

 

  1. https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/recently_adopted/docs/2013-02-13_electronic_prescribing_dispensing_and_recordkeeping_of_controlled_substances.pdf
  2. https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/narcotic/electronic_prescribing/

 

e-Prescribing Software: Top 5 Benefits for EHRs/EMRs

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Keeping in line with our previous posts on the benefits of e-Prescribing software, this week we focus on the benefits of integrating e-Prescribing software with existing healthcare software programs like EHRs/EMRs (Electronic Health Record Systems and Electronic Medical Record Systems).  While several options exist for integration, here we concentrate on embedding certified e-Prescribing screens. 

 

5) Maintenance done for you

E-Prescribing requires a lot of data.  One of the main reasons to use an e-Prescribing vendor is so that the EHRs don’t have to worry about the data upkeep.  For example, MDToolbox provides a complete drug database that is updated monthly, a database for interactions, monographs and education materials that is also updated monthly, formulary information based on patients’ insurance plans that is updated weekly, and a pharmacy lookup that is updated nightly.  See more about MDToolbox’s e-Prescribing services

4) Additional Features through API

In addition to being able to add e-Prescribing to their product, there are often several other features available through the API that EHRs can add into their product.  These don’t have to be part of just e-Prescribing, they can be added wherever fits best in the EHR (by calling the API directly from EHR screens).  A few examples of some functions MDToolbox offers as part of e-Prescribing and also available to EHR screens include:

    • Allergy Search
    • Condition/Problem List Search
    • Pharmacy Search
    • Drug Research, Patient Education and Decision Support Materials

3) Meet Meaningful Use

E-Prescribing is a big part of certifying for Meaningful Use.  By adding an e-Prescribing system that already meets Meaningful Use, EHRs can focus their time on meeting the rest of the qualifications.  See which Meaningful Use criteria MDToolbox meets.

2) Faster

It can take countless development hours to design screens for e-Prescribing.  In order to electronically route prescriptions to pharmacies nationwide, you must connect to a hub.  The hubs have many rules and regulations that e-Prescribing screens must meet in order to connect.  Surescripts® (the nation’s largest hub) has strict certification requirements and the certification process can take a lot of time.  EHRs must register with Surescripts and take classes, as well as a series of tests, in order to get certified.  The process can take upwards of 4 months.  

An EHR will have a much faster time to market by embedding already certified screens.  Adding an eRx system like MDToolbox-Rx can be done in as quick as 2 weeks.  The system can be integrated and tested in one week and the next week a quick call (20 min or less) with Surescripts completes the process to go live. 

1) Cheaper

Obviously, less time spent on development equals money saved.  As mentioned above, in order to e-Prescribe, a lot of data is needed.  The cost to acquire and maintain this data can also be quite large and on-going. 

 

  • Databases – MDToolbox maintains over 200 Gigabytes worth of data that needs to be continually updated from many sources.  As an example, according to the FDA1, 5 new drug products were approved in October alone.  It is not only important to keep data updated to have the latest information available to prescribers, it is mandated to maintain status on the e-Prescribing Network.  In order to be certified through Surescripts, you must obtain approved vendor provided databases and update them regularly. 

 

  • Federal, State and Hub Requirements and Regulations - The regulations are continually being updated and new rules put in place which requires constant product and coding updates.  E-Prescribing vendors keep up with the regulations and product updates, so EHRs who have integrated with them don’t have to worry about it.  These regulations include DEA rules and individual state rules.  For example, recently the State of New York passed the “I-STOP” Laws to help the state fight prescription drug abuse.  According to a posting at nysenate.gov2, the new laws mandate medication history lookups for controlled substances, mandate ALL prescriptions be e-Sent by March 27, 2015, and updates the controlled substance schedules of many drugs to safer levels.  

 

In addition to the lower development and data costs, EHRs can also save big on certification costs. 

 

  • Surescripts® Certifications - The Surescripts certification process not only takes time, it is an additional expense.  Thousands of dollars can be saved by embedding an e-Prescribing system that is already certified.   As Surescripts® (or other hubs) come out with new rules, changes, and updates, additional product certifications for the e-Prescribing system are required.  The process is an ongoing expense.

 

  • EPCS Certification/Audits - If EHRs want to be able to electronically prescribe controlled substances, they must also go through a full DEA 1311 audit.  This can cost upwards of $15,000 dollars.  However, if an EHR adds an e-Prescribing system that has already been through the full audit, such as MDToolbox-Rx, this eliminates or greatly reduces the size and price of the audit (depending on type of integration).  Additionally, the DEA mandates that the audit be re-preformed every two years and re-audited any time the product is changed, equaling more ongoing costs.

 

Some EHRs may think the ability to create their own screens to match their system outweighs the above benefits.  However, a few e-Prescribing vendors allow customization with their screen integrations to allow for a seamless workflow.  Such things like the screen colors and fonts can be matched to the EHR's theme.  MDToolbox even allows private labeling, so an EHR can add e-Prescribing screens that completely match their current interface and their end users will have no idea that they used an e-Prescribing vendor.  So, we pose the question – With the many benefits of using already certified screens AND the ability to customize those screens, why would anyone want to go through the hard work of building and maintaining their own e-Prescribing system?

 

 

    1. “New Drugs at FDA: CDER’s New Molecular Entities and New Therapeutic Biological Products of 2013.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Last Updated November 5, 2013. http://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/druginnovation/default.htm
    2. Montgomery, Velmanette. “New I-STOP Law To Help State Fight Prescription Drug Abuse.”  New York State Senate, September 6th, 2012 http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/new-i-stop-law-help-state-fight-prescription-drug-abuse 

e-Prescribing Software: Top 5 Benefits for Patients

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Our post last week covered the top 5 benefits of using e-Prescribing software for providers.  If you missed it, check it out here.  This week we focus on the benefits as they relate to patients.  

 

5) Patient Education Materials

Most e-Prescribing software includes drug reference information, including leaflets that can be printed and given to the patient (or electronic).  These leaflets are often available in several different languages, as well as adult and pediatric forms.  They include warnings, possible side effects, how to take the drug, and any other important information the patient needs to know about the drug.  Some products, including MDToolbox, also provide patient education information on patient conditions that can be printed and given to the patient as well.  

4) Compliance

An estimated 20% of all paper prescriptions are never filled 1.  Eliminating the need to drop off the prescription at the pharmacy and reducing wait times aid in patient compliance.  Some providers may worry that the patient may forget to pick up a prescription that was e-Sent.  However, software like MDToolbox provides an auto print out of a “Prescription Receipt” that the prescriber can hand to the patient so they remember to go pick it up, as well as which pharmacy it was e-Sent to.  The print out also includes the prescription directions so that the patient is clear on how the prescription should be taken.

3) Saves Patients Time

Using e-Prescribing software significantly reduces the time the patient has to wait at the pharmacy and in most cases, the prescriptions are ready for the patient as soon as they get to the pharmacy.  Multiple trips to the pharmacy are eliminated and time spent waiting for physicians to reply to refill requests is reduced as well.

2) Saves Patients Money

Through most e-Prescribing programs, prescribers have access to a patient’s formulary information at the time of prescribing.  This allows the prescriber to view which drugs will be covered for the patient and which ones are not.  Many times co-pay information is also available.  This way the prescriber can pick the lowest cost drug available for the patient.  A study by Decision Resources found that 75% of the doctors surveyed said when they e-Prescribe they pay more attention to the costs for their patients2.

1) Improves Patient Safety

We stated it last week, but it’s worth stating again (and again) because it is so important: e-Prescribing software greatly improves patient safety. 

Patients who see a provider who uses e-Prescribing do not have to worry about the pharmacist being able to interpret the prescriber’s handwriting.  They can be sure that the prescription the prescriber intended to write is readable in a standard, clear format by the pharmacist.  MDToolbox even uses tall man lettering, a way of distinguishing look-alike drug names, to maximize the amount of medication errors reduced. A survey by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) reported that 64% of all respondents stated that the use of tall man letters had prevented them from providing the wrong medication3.  

Through software systems like MDToolbox, prescribers can even access the patient’s medication history available from pharmacies and PBMs, so even if a patient forgets to report a medication they are currently taking, the prescriber will still have a record of it.  Having a complete, current medication list is important so prescribers can check for harmful and even possibly lethal drug interactions.  Prescribers can check against the patient’s records not only for drug-drug interactions, but also drug-allergy, drug-condition, duplicate therapy, body weight, age, and correct dosing. 

It’s clear from all of these benefits, e-Prescribing is a great tool to aid providers in giving patients the safe, affordable care they need.  

 

  1. Koroneos, George, "Hard of (Ad)hering", Pharmaceutical Executive, August 1, 2008
  2. Moore, Roy, “E-Prescribing and Electronic Health Records: Impact of Technology on Prescribing for Hypertension and Diabetes”, Decision Resources, February 2013
  3. Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Survey on tall man lettering to reduce drug name confusion. ISMP Med Saf Alert! 2008;13(10):4.

 

 

 

e-Prescribing Software: Top 5 Benefits for Providers

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As an industry leader in e-Prescribing software, it seems appropriate that our first blog post would be about why using e-Prescribing software is so important.  The team here at MDToolbox is passionate about e-Prescribing, not just because it’s a “cool” project to work on, but because it’s revolutionizing the healthcare workflow and can literally save lives.

E-prescribing, or electronic prescribing, is the method of writing and sending a prescription using an electronic device.  Instead of handwriting  a prescription on paper, the provider electronically sends the prescription to the pharmacy.  It’s as easy as sending an e-mail. While there is a plethora of reasons providers should be using e-Prescribing software, we have narrowed it down to our top 5.

 

5) Use Anywhere, Any Time, on Any Device 

Most e-Prescribing software is web-based, allowing providers to log in and prescribe from anywhere they have access to the internet, on any device (iPads, tablets, smartphones, etc.) and at any time.  Patients’ medication records and e-prescribing can be accessed wherever prescribers need it – at the office, hospital, home, even the golf course.   

4) Secure

Using e-Prescribing software offers a more secure way of prescribing medications.  A study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association1, found that over 20% of prescribers had experienced prescription fraud in the past 6 months before the study.  These included the prescriptions being altered by the patients, counterfeited prescriptions, and stolen prescription pads.   By prescribers directly electronically sending prescriptions to pharmacies, this prescription fraud can be eliminated. 

3) Incentives/Penalties

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program in 2009 to encourage prescribers to use e-Prescribing software.  At that time they were giving incentive payments to eligible prescribers; however, they are now penalizing providers who do not use e-prescribing software with payment adjustments.  In 2013, the payment adjustment is 1.5% and in 2014 it will increase to 2.0%.

Meaningful Use, another CMS program, also provides incentives to providers for using certified electronic health record systems.  There are several core requirements and menu items that a provider must meet in order to attest to Meaningful Use.  Using e-Prescribing software will help meet many of these requirements.

2) Saves Time and Money   

Using e-Prescribing software allows providers and their staff to spend more time focused on patient care, and less time looking up drugs, on the phone with pharmacies, and writing out prescriptions.

 A complete drug database is available for prescriber to search.  Many e-Prescribing vendors offer several ways to search for drugs including common libraries, drug class, indication, supplies, and more.  Complete drug reference information, as well as recommended dosages is also often available.  MDToolbox even provides dosing recommendation and a dosing calculator right at the point of prescribing, so it’s easy to calculate the correct dosages. There is no need to go searching for calculators and through drug references books, everything needed for prescribing is available in one place. 

Physicians and their staff can spend hours on the phone a day responding to requests from pharmacies to clarify prescriptions, discuss formulary issues, and authorize refills.  A study by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Center for Research, reported these calls can cost a practice almost $20,000 a year 2.  Using e-Prescribing software reduces these callbacks and allows refill requests to be responded to electronically, rather than over the phone.  Refill requests are all stored in one place and can be approved or denied within a matter of seconds.  The prescriptions sent are clear, in a standard format, and the prescriber has access to the patient’s formulary information right at the time of prescribing, reducing the need to discuss them with the pharmacy.

 Another way prescribers can save time is by using favorite lists.  These allow the prescriber to save a favorite prescription, including directions and amounts, to a list.  The prescriber can then use this list to quickly pick and prescribe from and send the prescriptions to the pharmacy within seconds.  

1) Improves Patient Safety

The number one priority for providers and for the MDToolbox Team is patient safety.  Writing prescriptions by hand causes a significant amount of errors.  A study by professor of medical informatics at Weill Cornell Medical College, Rainu Kaushal and colleagues 3, found 37 errors for every 100 paper prescriptions.  The study also found a remarkable 88 legibility errors per 100 prescriptions.  Providers using e-Prescribing software cut the number of errors down to 7 for every 100 prescriptions and completely eliminated legibility errors. 

Using e-Prescribing software not only does away with handwriting errors, it also provides necessary alerts at the time of prescribing.  Prescribers can access a patient’s medication history, verify their medications, and in turn, receive a warning if they pick a drug to prescribe that could cause a possible adverse reaction (or even death).  These include drug-drug, drug-allergy, drug-condition, and duplicate therapy alerts.  With today’s available technology, there is no excuse for the possible harm that could come from these preventable medication errors. Every prescriber should be using e-Prescribing software.  

 

1.       Thomas CP, Kim M, McDonald A, Kreiner P, Kelleher SJ Jr, Blackman MB, Kaufman PN, & Carrow GM. Prescribers' expectations and barriers to electronic prescribing of controlled substances.  J Am Med Inform Assoc 2012;19:375-381.

2.       Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Center for Research. Analyzing the Cost of Administrative Complexity. http://www.mgma.com/about/default.aspx?id=280

3.       Kaushal R, Kern LM, Barrón Y, Quaresimo J, Abramson EL. Electronic prescribing improves medication safety in community-based office practices. J Gen Intern Med. 2010 June; 25(6): 530–536.