This achievement has demonstrated the impact of Healthcare improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 providing financial incentives for doctors that utilize the option of electronic prescribing.

As per the statement released by the officials from the organization, Walgreens is targetting to make usage of more than 45 million electronic prescriptions in 2009 as compared to 15 million records filled in 2008. It is expected that the upward trend would continue in the form of financial incentives being offered as part of financial stimulus package that encourages doctors, hospitals and healthcare establishments to make extensive usage of electronic health records which is a salient feature of e-prescription.

Don Huonker, who is the senior Vice-President (Healthcare Innovation) of Walgreen has mentioned that medical practitioners will easily be able to access the software that makes e-prescribing possible on account of federal stimulus package  amounting to $19 billion being offered as incentives for adopting electronic health records.

There is an attempt by Walgreens management to extend the facility of e-prescribing for all prescriptions including the controlled drugs. Currently controlled substances account for approximately 15% of all the prescribed medications. The current regulations enforced by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency does not permit these controlled substances to be prescribed electronically.

ker has further added that goals of healthcare reforms could be achieved by continual growth in e-prescribing. By reducing the pricing of E-prescribing for the doctors and pharmacies, there is an increased likelihood that patients would increasingly come forward to have their prescriptions filled, benefit from the treatment procedures, thereby shunning medical procedures that are exorbitantly priced and even unnecessary. Adherence to e-prescribing, the errors pertaining to medications including the adverse drug events that cost the healthcare system billions of dollars yearly could be minimized to a great extent. This would eliminate the necessity of calling up a doctor’s clinic for the purpose of verification of a prescription. Benefits of e-prescribing are manifold and would entail the pharmacists to devote quality time on drug interactions, appropriate dosage and  consultation of patients.

Above article published on http://www.medindia.net/news/Upward-Trend-Seen-in-E-prescriptions-60843-1.htm

Under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) providers who implement e-prescription programs are eligible for incentives. Offices are looking for medical software to help them implement this program and reap the rewards.

The E-Prescription Incentive Program

In 2003 the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) included provisions for electronic prescriptions. Growing evidence that e-prescriptions reduce medication errors and protect patient safety, as well as physician liability, has motivated many medical offices to convert over but many doctors still depend on paper prescriptions.

This in part led to the creation of the 2009 Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program that rewards providers who use e-prescriptions for their Medicare Part B claims. In 2009 a qualified e-prescriber will be eligible for a 2% incentive payment. The hope is that most or even all providers will seek out medical software that supports e-prescription and adopt that system for growing numbers of patients. The goal is not only to improve public safety but to make Medicare filing more cost effective and save money.

Qualification for the Program

The requirements for participation in the program are quite simple. The medical software used must be able to do the following, quoted directly from the measure specifications:

- Generate a complete active medication list incorporating electronic data received from applicable pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) if available

- Select medications, print prescriptions, electronically transmit prescriptions, and conduct all alerts

- Provide information related to lower cost, therapeutically appropriate alternatives (if any). (The availability of an e-prescribing system to receive tiered formulary information, if available, would meet this requirement for 2009)

- Provide information on formulary or tiered formulary medications, patient eligibility, and authorization requirements received electronically from the patient’s drug plan (if available)

In addition, at least 10% of a participating provider’s Medicare Part B services must be made up of specific procedure codes detailed in the measure. More information can be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ERxIncentive/06_E-Prescribing_Measure.asp

What Software Is Required?

There are a number of medical software options available to providers. Many EMR systems include an option for e-prescriptions. The software used doesn’t have to be CCHIT certified which allows a number of inexpensive and free EMR systems to be considered.

The guidelines above are fairly basic and nearly any e-prescription system will satisfy them. Providers should consult with the software producers to ensure they will meet the qualifications. If so, adoption of the new medical software should be undertaken as soon as possible so the provider can start earning the e-prescription incentives.

Providers who adopt these new systems will find once they get past the learning curve, the capabilities of the EMR system will allow their offices to run more efficiently. Easy access to patient records and integration with the EMR of other providers will ultimately make patient diagnosis and treatment safer and more cost effective.

Above article published on

http://www.artipot.com/articles/411078/government-provides-incentives-to-encourage-e-prescriptions.htm

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

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 other 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/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/124816513790621.xml&coll=2

Report Details, Findings

The report details the status of e-prescribing adoption and use in the U.S. from 2006 through 2008.

According to the report, more than 100,000 prescribers now are transmitting e-prescriptions (Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 4/22).

The report found that there were 74,000 active e-prescribers by the end of 2008, compared with 36,000 at the end of 2007 and 16,000 in 2006 (Surescripts release) (.pdf).

Meanwhile, the use of three critical e-prescribing components — electronic prescription benefit, history and routing — increased by 61% in the first quarter of 2009.

The report attributes the increase in e-prescribing to three factors:

• The attention e-prescribing received at the federal and state policy level;
• National programs that spur e-prescribing and offer practical tools to help the industry in adoption; and
• The adoption of e-prescribing by important groups, such as payers, subscribers and pharmacies.

Harry Totonis, president and CEO of Surescripts, said, “In the past two years, the U.S. has gone from 19,000 to 103,000 prescribers routing prescriptions electronically — punctuated by 39% sequential growth in prescriber adoption in the first quarter of this year.” He added that “while this growth shows clear evidence that the steps taken by policymakers, prescribers, payers, pharmacies and others are having a positive impact, swift and specific action is required for the U.S. to achieve mainstream adoption and use of e-prescribing.”

Surescripts’ Recommendations

Surescripts offered five recommendations to ensure the growth of e-prescribing use continues and to further realize cost reductions and improvements in safety and efficiency:

• Continue work with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to pass regulations that permit controlled substances to be electronically prescribed in a way that is workable and scalable;
• Ensure the term “meaningful use” under the economic stimulus package requires the use of e-prescribing;
• Close gaps in e-prescribing participation among payers, state Medicaid programs and independent pharmacies;
• Promote awareness across the industry and encourage the use of e-prescribing, including prescription benefit, prescription history and prescription routing; and
• Provide education, financial incentives and implementation assistance to all prescribers, specifically focusing on the needs of small- and medium-sized practices (Healthcare IT News, 4/22).

Above article published on

http://www.ihealthbeat.org/Articles/2009/4/22/
Electronic-Prescribing-Sees-Significant-Growth-Surescripts-Report-Finds.aspx