What is e Prescribing?

Also known as eMAR - electronic medication administration record - and eRx, e-prescribing is defined as using an electronic device to write, modify, review, send, and communicate drug prescription benefits. With its rising prevalence, understanding the impact of a practice’s e-prescribing is more important than ever. 

Prescription drug electronic prescribing capability within the scope of behavioral health care supplies an electronic medical record management’s eRx prescribing system. It enables medication orders to be securely transmitted to pharmacies from the point of care in real-time.  

Patient safety is provided through prescribing software to protect physicians and patients and to watch controlled substances and drug interaction risks. This prescribing system keeps track of prior medical and insurance authorizations, enhancing patients’ electronic prescription orders to pharmacies of their choice.  

To quantify the benefits of e-prescribing, here are statistics on automating this function’s workflow through an electronic healthcare records system (EHR). 

The Market for E-Prescribing is Predicted to Reach $1 Billion by 2023 

That’s a huge amount of growth, considering its overall market value was worth $250 million just ten years ago. The driving forces behind this boom are cited as cost savings, improved practitioner efficiency, and meeting patient demand.  

9 Out of 10 Pharmacies in the United States Accept Electronic Prescriptions 

This is motivated by prescriber accessibility, consumer appeal, and payer reimbursement convenience. These prescriptions can vary from birth control to blood pressure medicine and even to controlled substances, though many states have laws and regulatory measures in place for the latter, especially in lieu of the ongoing opioid crisis. 

E-Prescription Adoption Often Varies by Practice Size 

More than half of e-prescribers (54.9 percent) are in smaller practices with five or fewer physicians. Midsize practices are a little further behind, with only 25.2 percent reporting e-prescription use, while large practices—with 20 or more providers—have the lowest rate, with only 19.9 percent. These numbers are expected to continue to increase among all categories, utilizing conveniences with patients, pharmacies, and payers, along with advancements in eMAR capabilities. 

E-Prescribing was First Included in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 

Subsequently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched an eRx incentive program and included eMAR under the umbrella of meaningful use. The results have been financially acceptable on Medicare Part D coverage.  

4 Major Benefits of E-Prescribing 

According to a study published in the Online Research Journal: Perspectives in Health Information Management, the prominent benefits include: 

• Patient safety: E-prescribing has been found to reduce adverse drug events, reducing medication errors from 42.5 per 100 prescriptions to 3.3. 
• Efficiency: While e-prescribing may take 20 seconds longer per patient than writing out a prescription, the overall time is still saved. This occurs as prescribers spend less time clarifying issues, such as prior authorization and refill requests. Automation runs thorough checks without the involvement of the patient or pharmacy, by utilizing eMAR. 
• Cost savings: Industry projections range between $140 to $240 billion in savings over the course of 10 years—largely due to increased medication adherence. 
• Medication adherence: The study also found a 10 percent increase in patients picking up their e-prescriptions compared to written ones that are lost or go unfilled.  

See e-prescribing’s capabilities in action through eMAR today.