Elecronic Prescriptions (eRx)
Physicians are ditching expensive paper pads and sending electronic prescriptions directly to the pharmacy over the internet in record numbers, and it is now believed over 12% of practicing physicians in the USA use some kind of e-Prescribe or e-Rx system. The clinical benefits to e-Prescribing are numerous (reduction of errors caused by the inability to read a physician’s handwriting, increased convenience leading to more patients getting their prescriptions filled, ability for providers to track patients’ medication history to avoid adverse interactions), but the icing on the cake is the monetary benefits currently being offered to providers who make the switch to e-Prescribing. CMS is offering a bonus equal to 2% of the total charges billed to Medicare in 2009 and 2010, and that bonus then steps down by 0.5% a year through 2013. Beginning in 2012 CMS will switch from carrot to stick by reducing Medicare reimbursement by 1% for providers who don’t e-Prescribe, and increasing the penalty to 2% in 2014 and beyond. The good news is that the CMS e-Prescribe bonus program could yield between $1,700 and $3,500 a year for the typical physician in 2009 and 2010, and this amount can go a long way towards covering the cost of implementing a full electronic medical records system.
PracticeAdmin stands ready to help you with your e-Prescribing needs, whether you are ready to implement a full EMR, or you just want to begin e-Prescribing and upgrade to a full EMR at some point in the future. The PCM e-Prescribe module includes everything you need to start e-Prescribing and be eligible for the CMS bonus (i.e. drug formularies and interactions), and can be used as a stand-alone product until your practice is ready to take on the EMR challenge. Contact the PA Sales Dept. for more information.