Posts Tagged ‘prescription’

The current edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine reports that health care providers who use electronic prescriptions are seven times less likely to make errors, compared to those who write prescriptions by hand. Electronic prescriptions are written on computers which contain databases of information on drugs which assist physicians in selecting proper drug dosages, avoid drug interactions, and checking drug allergies. The majority of errors were unlikely to cause serious harm to patients as they were often picked up by pharmacists – these include incomplete directions and omitting the quantity of drug to dispense. A small number of errors were more serious, such as prescribing incorrected dosages of drugs. However, the advantages of e-precribing go well beyond reducing the risk of patient harm. Reduction in errors can dramatically improve health care delivery and reduce health care costs. [via iHealth Bulletin]

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“The recent deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson have made clear to the whole world just how dangerous prescription drug abuse can be,” said California Attorney General Edmund Brown Jr., as he unveiled the state’s new CURES internet database which provides physicians, pharmacists and law enforcement officers instant access to any patient’s prescription drug use history. Although not necessarily targeted for patients like the above named celebrities, the main use of the database is in an effort to curb prescription drug abuse, especially among patients who seek out and receive multiple prescriptions from different doctors. With 7,500 pharmacies and 158,000 prescribers reporting prescription information annually, CURES is the largest online prescription-drug monitoring database in the United States. Its goal is to reduce drug trafficking and abuse of dangerous prescription medications, lower the number of emergency room visits due to prescription-drug overdose and misuse, and reduce the costs to healthcare providers related to prescription-drug abuse. [via ABC KERO 23]

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Beginning January 2009 the US Medicare system will be offering bonuses to physicians who prescribe medications electronically.  Why the push? The most important reason is patient safety – no more indecipherable handwriting means less risk that your pharmacist will dole out the wrong prescription. Also, e-prescribing sends the prescription instantly, directly to the pharmacy, so scripts do not get lost or stolen. When e-prescribing, computers can remind docs about potential interactions amongst drugs, in addition to helping physicians choose the cheapest drugs which, in the end, saves the patient money. Only about 10 percent of US doctors are actively e-prescribing. This is due, in part, to the cost associated with setting up the necessary technology and apprehension about adopting new technology. However, the benefits are clear. Ever since I personally started e-prescribing, there’s just no going back to paper.

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