Ohio doctors seem reluctant to give up their prescription pads, according to findings by Surescripts, the largest national prescription network.

The state lags far behind the nation’s leaders when it comes to sending prescriptions electronically over the network, which covers all major chain pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as 10,000 independent pharmacies.

In 2008, Ohio doctors electronically routed just 4.67 percent of prescriptions, Surescripts reports. Massachusetts tops the list for the second consecutive year with 20 percent — more than four times Ohio’s rate.

Electronic prescriptions, colloquially known as e-prescriptions, allow doctors to monitor and control treatment more efficiently. By getting rid of paper prescriptions and illegible handwriting, e-prescribing also reduces the risk of medical errors.

With the click of a mouse, doctors are able to pull up information about the patient’s insurance coverage when prescribing treatment. Easy access to comprehensive patient information allows doctors to prescribe alternative generic drugs to bring down the cost of medication, said Surescripts spokesman Rob Cronin.

The number of prescriptions routed electronically nationwide grew from 29 million in 2007 to 68 million in 2008, and the number of e-prescribers jumped 12 percent.

“One thing that gets the most focus with e-prescriptions is patient safety,” Cronin said. “The doctor can use software that provides them with a complete view of the patient’s medical history.”

Although the national rate of e-prescription use hovers at about 10 percent, John Halamka, an expert on e-prescriptions and chief information officer at Harvard Medical School, expects to see “rapid increases in e-prescribing volumes” next year, as use of electronic prescriptions will likely be a requirement for receiving stimulus money.

Barriers to adopting e-prescribing technology at hospitals and doctor’s offices include initial and long-term costs and confusion about competing product offerings, Halamka said. The cost to implement e-prescribing can range from $1,000 to $10,000 per physician in the first year and $250 to $3,000 in subsequent years.

Many physicians at University Hospitals in Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic already e-prescribe, and many hospitals and health centers in the area plan to implement e-prescribing technology along with electronic medical records in coming years.

Jeffrey Sunshine, interim vice president and chief medical information officer at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, said that the use of e-prescriptions facilitates the transfer of patient data.

“Patients often see many doctors, so it’s important to have a central list of medications that the patient is on so we don’t duplicate others’ efforts.”

Above article published on http://www.cleveland.com/medical/index.ssf/2009/07/ohio_doctors_slow_to_sign_on_t.html