E-Prescribing and Interoperable Progress Report

TOPICS:

Posted By: Roberta Mullin May 24, 2012

National Progress Report Shows Increased Adoption in e-Prescribing

Last week Surescripts released “The National Progress Report on E-Prescribing and Interoperable Healthcare, Year 2011.” The report provides information of the growth in adoption and use of e-prescribing for the year 2011. The Executive Summary states, “The progress made provides an opportunity to expand health information sharing across the care continuum,  lower costs and improve quality for physicians, pharmacies, patients and other health care stakeholders. For the 2011 report, we also present two analyses by Surescripts that demonstrate how e-prescribing 1) improves first fill medication adherence by 10 percent with estimated savings up to a quarter of a trillion dollars; and 2) helped an estimated 54 to 60 percent of physicians who started e-prescribing in 2008 meet the stage 1 meaningful use e-prescribing measure.”

Report highlights and progress include:

  1. More than 1 in 2 office-based physicians e-prescribed in 2011, up from 1 in 10 in 2009. Now 58% of US office-based physicians actively e-prescribe.
  2. By the end of 2011, 570 million prescriptions were routed electronically an estimated 36% which is up from 22% from the year before.
  3. E-prescribing is helping to improve first fill medication adherence. Savings are estimated up to $240 billion over the next 10 years. Comparing electronic, paper, phone, and fax Rxs, data shows a 10% increase in patient first fill medication adherence when using e-prescribe.
  4. Up to 60% of physicians who started e-prescribing in 2008 also met Stage 1 Meaningful Use e-prescribing measure. 38% would meet the proposed Stage 2 e-prescribing measure. 80% of physicians who adopted e-prescribing in 2008 used an EHR. The data showed that prescribers using EHRs had 53% higher utilization levels than prescribers using standalone e-prescribing systems.
  5. E-prescribing adoption rates register significant growth by physician specialty and practice size. 2011 figures show approximately 2/3 of Internists, Family Practitioners, and Cardiovascular Physicians were e-prescribing. The 3 smallest practice sizes led in e-prescribing adoption in 2011. 46% of solo practitioners, 53% of 2 to 5 practitioners, and 55% of 6 to 10 practitioners were e-prescribing.

View and download the report from Surescripts.