E-prescribers Pass 100,000 Milestone
Surecripts, operator of the nation's largest electronic prescribing network, reported on April 22 that more than 100,000 prescribers are now routing prescriptions electronically in the United States.
Surescripts made the announcement in conjunction with the release of the company's "National Progress Report on E-prescribing." The report, based on the operations of the Surescripts network, details the status of e-prescribing adoption and use in the U.S. from 2006 through 2008.
Among the report's key findings:
- By the end of 2008, there were 74,000 active prescribers -- vs. 36,000 at the end of 2007 and 16,000 in 2006.
- Prescriber use of benefit information and prescription history grew from 37 million in 2007 to 78 million in 2008, and from 6 million in 2007 to 16 million in 2008, respectively.
- Prescriptions routed electronically more than doubled from 29 million in 2007 to 68 million in 2008.
- By the end of 2008, increased participation by payers in e-prescribing enabled access to prescription benefit and history information for 65 percent of patients in the U.S.
- Seven states are connected to the Surescripts network through their pharmacy benefit managers to deliver prescription information for fee-for-service Medicaid patients.
- At the end of 2008, approximately 76 percent of community pharmacies and six of the largest mail-order pharmacies in the U.S. were connected for prescription routing.
Harry Totonis, president and CEO of Surescripts, commented, "[W]hile this growth shows clear evidence that the steps taken by policymakers, prescribers, payers, pharmacies and others are having a positive impact, swift and specific action is required for the U.S. to achieve mainstream adoption and use of e-prescribing."
Surescripts acknowledged that only about 10 percent of eligible prescriptions are currently routed electronically. The company recommends that five actions be taken at the earliest opportunity to continue the growth of e-prescribing use and adoption and to further secure reductions in cost as well as improvements in safety and efficiency:
1) Continue to work with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to pass regulations that allow controlled substances to be electronically prescribed in a way that is workable and scalable.
2) Work to ensure that "meaningful use" under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 requires the actual use of e-prescribing.
3) Fill gaps in e-prescribing participation among payers, state Medicaid programs and independent pharmacies.
4) Raise awareness across the industry and encourage deployment and use of e-prescribing -- encompassing prescription benefit, prescription history and prescription routing.
5) Provide education, financial incentives and implementation assistance for all prescribers, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of small and medium-size practices.
You can access a downloadable version of the report by visiting www.surescripts.com/e-prescribing-statistics.html.