Benefits of ePrescribing
Simply stated, ePrescribing is a process by which prescription information is electronically transmitted from the physician directly to the patient’s pharmacy. At the point of prescribing, the physician has access to the patient’s medication history and to relevant insurance coverage information. The ePrescribing system alerts the physician if it detects a potential adverse drug reaction to the medication being prescribed (eg, drug-drug interactions or drug allergies). With real-time access to information, the physician can modify the prescription to avoid potential adverse effects.
Any issue regarding the use or cost of the medicine can be discussed with the patient while he or she is still in the examination room and before the prescribing process is completed.
Because ePrescribing is an integral component of electronic medical records, many of the transcription errors that occur with handwritten prescriptions are eliminated, improving patient safety by providing physicians with clinical information concerning drug effectiveness and safety. Also, because the ePrescribing process facilitates dialogue with their physicians, patients gain a better understanding of the medication’s purpose and the importance of following the prescribed drug therapy.
