E-prescribing offers a neat and safe alternative to pad and pen

Key Points

One of the numerous factors shaping pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committees' operations and decisions is the push for electronic health information systems, including electronic prescribing (e-prescribing). E-prescribing is expected to help prescribers comply with plan formularies and formulary policies.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates that ≥1.5 million preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) occur in the United States each year; ≥7,000 patient deaths are attributable to poor handwriting and filling errors.

SureScripts operates the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange, which allows physicians and pharmacists to electronically transmit prescription information and life-saving information during emergencies and routine care. More than 95% of all US pharmacies and major physician technology vendors are certified members of the service. SureScripts does not develop, sell, or endorse specific electronic prescribing software; e-prescribing via SureScripts uses HIPAA-compliant technology. In addition, the service offers formulary information for several health plans and Pharmacy Benefit Management Companies (PBMs), and the company plans to expand this feature in the future.

Because 30% of physicians account for approximately 80% of all prescriptions written, it's critical to get that 30% to convert to e-prescribing to help reduce medication errors, according to Kevin Hutchinson, SureScripts President and CEO.

ZixCorp, Dallas, Tex, an e-mail encryption and e-prescribing company, recently issued a statement supporting NEPSI's efforts to promote the widespread adoption of e-prescribing. ZixCorp's PocketScript e-prescribing tool enables physicians to write prescriptions using a wireless handheld personal data assistant (PDA) and transmit the information to pharmacies. The company is currently working with 7 large health insurers to provide PocketScript e-prescribing solutions free to doctors to promote e-prescribing.

E-prescribing offers many benefits, including assurance that prescriptions are legible and contain all required information. E-prescribing also creates a permanent record for each patient that is accessible regardless of location (ie, pharmacy, physician's office, hospital, nursing home); in some cases, e-prescribing systems are used in conjunction with a patient's medical history, enabling healthcare professionals to check for drug allergies, interactions, and inappropriately high doses of medication.

SOURCES

Institute of Medicine Report Brief, July 2006: Preventing medication errors. Institute of Medicine website. Available at: http:// http://www.iom.edu/object.file/master/35/943/medication%20errors%20new.pdf. Accessed March 29, 2007.

SureScripts website. Available at: http:// http://www.surescripts.com/. Accessed March 29, 2007.

National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative website. Available at: http:// http://www.nationalerx.com/. Accessed March 29, 2007.

Zix Corp website. Available at: http:// http://www.zixcorp.com/. Accessed March 29, 2007.

Dr Kaufman is president of PRN Communications, Inc, a consulting/medical writing and editing firm.