E-prescribing Resources

E-prescribing is the electronic generation, transmission, and filling of a prescription. It strives to reduce the number of medication errors and adverse drug effects, and improve standards in patient safety. Surescripts-RxHub is a network that securely links e-prescribing systems to the major health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, and pharmacies.

Prescribers have the choice of using a standalone solution or a system integrated with an EMR (electronic medical record). For 2009, the e-prescribing Medicare incentive will provide 2 percent of the total estimated allowed charges for professional services covered by Medicare Part B as provided by an eligible prescriber during one calendar year. Certain CPT codes must be used for at least 10 percent of the total Medicare Part B-allowed charges to be eligible. The list of codes can be found in Medicare’s “Guide to E-prescribing” (available at SDCMS.org).

Before a physician makes the adoption decision, evaluating the current state of the practice is important in order to prevent future adoption failures. It is hard to put a finger on which vendor has the best e-prescribing product for your practice. Located on SDCMS’ website are tools to help physicians research e-prescribing vendors, using a vendor-neutral approach. The resources available to members at SDCMS.org to help educate them and their staffs in e-prescribing include:

• SDCMS E-prescribing webinar — “E-prescribing for Dummies” (filmed February 24, 2009) — along with a PowerPoint presentation.
• AMA’s “Clinicians Guide to E-prescribing.”
• Medicare’s “Guide to E-prescribing.”
• Illumisys’ PowerPoint presentation: “The Benefits of E-prescribing.”
• National E-prescribing Patient Safety Initiative webinar: “E-prescribing: Facts and Myths” (filmed October 9, 2008).

Please contact me, Lauren Wendler, your office manager advocate, at SDCMS at (858) 300-2782 or at LWendler@SDCMS.org should you have any other questions.