Wildfire Evacuees Can Benefit from HIT
It seems some people have learned from the tragedy of Katrina and are applying that knowledge to present and future disasters.
President Bush has declared a state of emergency in the state of California due to the devastating wildfires, and an estimated 950,000 people have been displaced from their homes. For those evacuees, it will now be easier for their caregivers to access information about their prescription medication.
ICERx.org (In Case of Emergency Prescription history service) has been activated to provide licensed physicians and pharmacists caring for California wildfire evacuees with private, secure online access to available medication history information for affected individuals.
Armed with this information, health care professionals will be able to effectively assist in the coordination of care and safely renew prescriptions for evacuees, while avoiding harmful prescription errors and potential drug interactions.
Prescription data is available only to U.S.-licensed physicians and pharmacists who have been authenticated and registered on ICERx.org (www.icerx.org). Through the system, authorized users will be able to securely view the following information:
· A listing of prescription medications taken by the evacuee
· Quantity and day supply
· The pharmacy that filled the prescription
· The provider who wrote the prescription
· Drug information, such as indication and dosage, administration, and interactions
The prescription history information is available from a variety of sources participating in ICERx.org, including community pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers and state Medicaid programs.
ICERx.org is a public service initiative made possible through the collaborative efforts of the American Medical Association (AMA), Informed Decisions, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), RxHub and SureScripts, as well as government agencies.
If you know someone displaced by the wildfires, let them know there is a patient section on the ICERx.org Web site as well. Finally, an example of health information technology making a difference.