Electronic Prescribing Mandates
New Laws May Impose Reimbursement Restrictions for Non Compliance
Medicare rules may be the first to mandate practitioners use electronic prescription services to improve patient safety and save money.
E-prescribing is a hot issue in the health care debates in Washington D.C. this year. What is it? How does it work? Why is it necessary?
For years, the controversy over practitioner's illegible handwriting has been at the forefront of patient safety issues. Laws requiring physicians and other practitioners to block print or type prescriptions have gone ignored. Despite the best efforts of pharmacists to determine the correct information, patients have been given wrong medications and wrong dosages.
How it Works
Electronic prescribing is a process of sending the prescription from a hand held device or laptop or stationery computer directly to a computer in the patient's pharmacy. Instead of writing out a paper prescription for the patient to drop off or mail in to their pharmacy, the practitioner can send the prescription electronically right from the examination room.
Speeds Up the Process
By the time the patient gets to the pharmacy, chances are good that the prescription will be filled. This can be most helpful to speed the ill patient on his way and not have to wait around in the pharmacy coughing, sneezing and spreading germs.
Improved Accuracy
The accuracy of the prescription is greatly improved by eliminating the need to interpret handriting. And because the patient never touches the prescription there is no opportunity to alter the prescription such as in the number of pills or refills.
Refill Authorization
The pharmacy's computer can automatically contact the practitioner's system for refill authorization. This eliminates the need for phone calls and faxes back and forth. Many of the software programs allow for the practitioner to link to the patient's medical records as well as his/her insurance's formulary of approved medications and ease the process of authorizing the refill. This saves valuable time and phone calls or faxes for both the pharmacist as well as the practitioner.
E-Prescribing Saves Time
Practitioners who have been using this system have reported a significant time savings which allows them to spend more quality time with patients. Refills are often approved the same day instead of taking 24 to 72 hours for approval.
Medicare Savings Significant
Senator John Kerry introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate this week that would require E-prescribing for all Medicare beneficiaries by 2011. Practitioners who don't E-prescribe for their Medicare patients by then would be penalized by lower reimbursement rates. The cost savings to the Medicare program is estimated to be $3 billion per year.
Resource for Practitioners
A new website has been launched by several groups of physicians to assist medical practices in understanding E-prescribing and determining the best set up for their practice.
Source: iHealthBeat, March 5, 2008
