Electronic prescription services benefit everyone in the healthcare industry, including healthcare facilities, patients, and pharmacies. Incorporating electronic prescription services will help improve provider workflow, keep patients safer, and enhance pharmaceutical operations. Read on to learn the benefits of electronic prescriptions.
How Electronic Prescription Services Benefit Prescribers
Prescribers can benefit from electronic prescription applications in many ways including improving efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the competency of the service the practice provides patients. Electronic prescription services offer automation, access to databases, and help with government regulation compliances to provide the best service to patients.
Automated Steps Increase Practice Efficiency
When a prescription is sent to the pharmacy, the information can also be automatically entered into the patient’s medical record and the billing system when these are electronically linked. Automating steps that take time away from more important functions increases the efficiency of the office and lowers operating costs.
Data Entry Format in the EPS is Easy to Use
Writing the type of medication, the quantities, and the directions down on a prescription pad can cause confusion and errors if mistakes are made or are not legible. When e-prescribing, the prescriber chooses the drug name, quantity, and directions from an established menu, eliminating the need to write or type this information manually.
Auto-population of Commonly Used Medications
When e-prescribing a patient’s frequently used medication, the electronic prescription services application will auto-fill the medication, the quantities, and directions, streamlining the prescription process and reducing the number of errors.
Less Time is Spent Researching Related Prescribing Information
Electronic prescription applications offer the ability to review patient medications histories, formulary information, and safety alerts at the touch of a button while considering the right prescription for a patient. In addition, electronic prescription applications can link to a patient’s health plan or PBM to inform the prescriber whether a specific medication is covered under the plan and, if not, offer alternatives.
In addition, databases are available for prescribers to research prescribing guidelines and patient-drug interaction information. Prescribers can also analyze patient information such as allergies, conditions, reactions, duplication of medicines, or any other reason prescribing a medication would be inadvisable. Having access to this information reduces the number of unfortunate events.
Government Regulation Compliance Efforts are Reduced
While there are federal Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) compliances to adhere to, states may have different regulations governing EPCS compliance. Therefore, electronic prescription applications support EPCS compliance in all 50 states.
To help combat drug abuse, electronic prescription services allow access to a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) so that a prescriber can get a complete history of a patient’s controlled substance prescriptions no matter what state they had their prescriptions filled in. With this access, prescribers can authorize controlled substances to patients without worry while recognizing other patients that need substance abuse treatment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is the arm of the federal government that approves the EPCS certification for a prescriber’s electronic prescription system. Electronic prescription services have features that can assist with a DEA audit if they inspect your system randomly to ensure compliance.
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How Electronic Prescription Services Benefit Patients
Prescribers can provide safer, more cost-effective, and more convenient healthcare services to patients using electronic prescription services.
Patients are Safer
The patients will be safer because the prescriber can access databases that prevent prescribing drugs that may cause adverse events, such as worsening conditions, illnesses, injuries, or death. Also, drug interaction accidents are reduced when errors are minimized using electronic prescription applications rather than manually writing prescriptions. Because of well-researched and error-free prescriptions, the patient won’t have to seek additional medical care through hospitalizations, emergency room visits, or frequent doctor visits.
Reduced Costs for Patients
Adverse conditions from prescribing errors will occur less frequently for patients, reducing their need for more costly medical care to correct the problem. As a result, using electronic prescription services makes hospitalization costs, emergency room co-pays, and additional doctor visit co-pays unnecessary.
In addition to costs stemming from more medical issues, patients can save on prescription co-pays because of the ability to check for drug coverage expenses in a particular health plan. In addition, the prescriber can consider alternatives, like generic drugs, or discover other benefits that might be available to the patient.
Patients Enjoy Convenience
Prescription orders and refills are processed faster, providing medication sooner rather than later to the patient. They can leave the prescriber’s practice, go to the pharmacy, and have their prescriptions waiting. If they receive their medications through a mail-order pharmacy, they can receive their medicines sooner because they don’t have to mail their prescriptions in first.
Pharmacies Benefit from Electronic Prescription Services Too
Pharmacy efficiency benefits from electronic prescription services because the prescriber now resolves issues previously dealt with at the pharmacy level. Issues such as:
- What the drug plan covers or doesn’t cover
- What quantities of the drug are covered
- The out-of-pocket cost to drug plan participants
- Finding drug coverage alternatives
The efficiency of pharmacies increases even more because the prescriptions can be easily read. Legibility reduces the need for communication with the prescriber, making it possible to fill the prescription faster. In addition, pharmacies that receive electronic prescriptions have software that can automate the information it receives to produce labels and paperwork for review.
How NewCrop Can Help Benefit Your Healthcare Practice with Electronic Prescription Services
The healthcare industry as a whole benefits from electronic prescription services due to increased safety, efficiency, improved workflows, and improved satisfaction overall.
NewCrop Rx electronic prescribing contains compliance measures, such as EPCS, PDMP access, and DEA audit assistance, so you can focus on helping more patients. In addition to clinicians, NewCrop supports our EHR partners by enhancing their software offerings and maintaining compliance by helping them receive ONC certification. To take advantage of the benefits of electronic prescription services while maintaining compliance, schedule a demo of NewCrop today.
