E-Prescribing/Electronic Prescribing
What is e-Prescribing?
Electronic prescribing, also known as e-Prescribing, allows a healthcare professional to enter prescription information into an electronic device (e.g., laptop, tablet, desktop computer) and have the prescription securely transmitted to a pharmacy.
This transmission is completed using a special software program and requires the physician to be connected to the transmission network. Once the pharmacy receives the prescription, they can immediately begin filling the request.
What is the benefit of e-Prescribing for healthcare?
E-Prescribing offers many benefits for both physicians and patients.
One significant benefit of e-Prescribing is that it improves healthcare quality and patient safety by reducing medication errors. One way it does this is by checking for drug interactions to ensure a patient has not been prescribed a medication that will adversely interact with another medication they take. The system also provides an instant notification for any allergies and duplicate therapies to further promote better health care quality.
E-Prescribing is also more convenient because it allows providers to electronically request prescription refills. In addition, healthcare providers can quickly look at the patient’s medication history, which saves time in collecting medication lists and reduces errors in recounting the incorrect medication.