How EHRs are preventing prescription fraud and abuse

Recent data from the nation’s leading health information network, Surescripts, reveals more than 48,000 providers in New York have adopted technology to combat prescription fraud and abuse and improve patient care.

Since March 1, the number of New York providers enabled for electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) increased 28 percent, as the state moves closer to the March 27 deadline to comply with the Internet System for Tracking Over Prescribing (I-STOP) mandate that requires the use of electronic prescribing.

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Doctors in New York are outpacing their counterparts in other states, with just eight percent of providers enabled for EPCS nationwide compared to 47 percent in New York. This is a significant improvement compared to one year ago, when fewer than two percent of providers in New York were ready.

Meanwhile, pharmacy adoption of the technology is nearly universal, with 95 percent of pharmacies in New York enabled to receive prescriptions for controlled substances electronically.

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This rapid increase in adoption was made possible because of electronic health record (EHR) software vendors’ certification of the technology, which is a necessity in order for prescribers to start using it.

Currently, EHRs serving 96 percent of prescribers in New York are certified for EPCS. As a result, many providers are already utilizing the technology, with 37 percent of all EPCS transactions nationwide in March coming from New York.

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“The industry has made remarkable progress in adopting this critical technology that can have a direct and immediate impact on improving patient care and saving lives,” said Tom Skelton, Chief Executive Officer of Surescripts. “As we look beyond New York, we will continue to expand the connections we have with software vendors, providers and pharmacies to broaden the utilization of e-prescribing for controlled substances and add considerable value to the nation’s healthcare system.”

Electronic prescribing offers many benefits for patients, providers, pharmacies, and the healthcare system as a whole. It is safer and more convenient for patients by ensuring a prescription reaches a pharmacy, and it improves patient medication adherence.

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The technology is more efficient for doctors and pharmacists and improves prescription accuracy. E-prescribing of controlled substances is designed to improve both the doctor and the patient experience with increased safety and security while ensuring the patient’s choice of pharmacy.

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