This coming Sunday, March 27th, with limited exceptions, physicians must electronically send their orders directly to pharmacies, otherwise they face the possibility of fines, license loss or even jail. While New York’s mandate may seem harsh, the reality is that this requirement is meant to fight painkiller abuse, which has become a major problem in New York and many other states and has led to heroin use.
In addition to fighting painkiller abuse, e-Prescribing reduces prescription errors and often makes the prescription process more convenient for doctors and patients. According to Paul Uhrig, Chief Administrative Officer of Surescripts, the leading network for transmitting e-prescriptions, e-Prescribing has surged nationwide in recent years amid a push to digitize medical records. E-Prescribing of controlled and non-controlled substances is now accepted in all 50 states.
As described in the March 19, 2016 article As NY Demands Paperless Prescribing, Doctors are Mixed by Jennifer Peltz of the Associated Press, [d]igital prescribing thwarts prescription-slip forgery and theft and saves time for patients who otherwise have to drop off scripts. The secured systems also let doctors look up a patient’s other medications and insurance particulars before ordering a drug. Peltz goes on to say that [t]he convenience appeals to patients like Christine Smith, a 44-year-old mother of two from Plainview, on New York’s Long Island.
“I like them sending it, so I don’t have to carry it. It’s one less responsibility for me to worry about,” she said.
Peltz’ article further explains that [s]tudies have found that electronic prescribing reduces medication errors, partly because pharmacists don’t have to decipher prescribers’ handwriting. Messy writing causes some of the medication errors that kill at least one person per day and injure 1.3 million nationwide each year, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
At RXNT, we believe the benefits of e-Prescribing far outweigh any limitations doctors might find. Physicians using our e-Prescribing software have been realizing the benefits for over 16 years. They are able to provide better care for the patient. Visit us online at RXNT|eRx or contact us 800-943-7968 Option 3 or email us at [email protected] and find out how we can help you realize the benefits too!