e-Prescribing

 

Instead of using a prescription pad and writing the prescription for your patient, with e-Prescribing the prescription is entered into the computer. Then, the prescription is securely transmitted to the pharmacy.

With e-Prescribing your practice’s prescriptions are fill the way you intended the first time. e-Prescribing streamlines the practice-pharmacy workflow – reducing the physician’s and staff interaction with the pharmacy.

Benefits of e-Prescribing for the Provider

  • Up-to-date drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction information – reduces calls from pharmacies and potential adverse events.
  • Reduces the risk of handwriting interpretation errors
  • Give patients faster access to cost effective treatments with access to plan formulary requirements at the point-of-care such as:
    • Quantity restrictions
    • Prior authorization
    • Non-covered drugs
    • Drug tiers
  • At the point-of-care see patient’s drug history – enabling you to make clinically informed decisions.
  • FDA Safety Alerts – review patient historical information without pulling charts
  • Security – eliminate the worry of a prescription pad getting into the wrong hands

Benefits of e-Prescribing for Practice Personnel

  • Interaction with pharmacies are reduced about handwriting and non-covered medications
  • Reduces the requirement to pull patient charts for renewals can save up to 2 hours a day
  • Eliminate calls regarding alternative covered medications
  • Reduce calls regarding prior authorization requests

Benefits of e-Prescribing for Patients

  • e-Prescribing formularies reduce patient out-of-pocket expenses
  • Prescriptions arrive at the pharmacy before the patient – increasing the likelihood the prescription will be ready
  • Having health plan requirement information available enables the prescriber to prescribe within the plan
  • Patients avoid drug-drug or drug-allergy adverse interactions
  • Cost-effectiveness and convenience increases  likelihood of prescribed treatment compliance

The Incentives

Beginning January 1, 2009, providers who use a qualified system to e-prescribe can receive a higher level of reimbursement under Medicare in form of a 2% reimbursement bonus in 2009 and 2010. That reimbursement bonus will drop to 1% in 2011 and 2012 and to .5% in 2013.

Also, eligible providers who do not e-prescribe will see a penalty of 1% in their reimbursement starting in 2012. The penalty increases to 1.5% in 2013 and to 2% in 2014 and beyond.

Although e-prescribing will be optional for physicians and pharmacies, Medicare will require drug plans participating in the new prescription benefit to support electronic prescribing.

Find Out More

Practice Provider can help you get the most out of ePrescribing. We can help determine if your practice is eligible and enroll your practice. Additionally, Practice Provider can supply your practice with EMR software that meets all the requirements of a qualified ePrescribing system today.

Call us today to find out all about the Economic Stimulus Plan and how Practice Provider can help you capitalize on Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments and receive maximum dollars available.