The e-prescribing (e-Rx) EMR Software system has changed the way healthcare operates by allowing clinicians and other medical staff to send prescription data digitally to pharmacies. Hand-written prescriptions are now seen as inefficient and can result in errors due to handwriting issues that can harm patient safety.

Increased Adoption of e-prescribing Software System

E-prescribing software systems are being embraced by hospitals and practices in the United States to enhance patient safety and improve administrative workflow, ultimately saving time and money. A recent study by the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative revealed that the use of e-Rx software has increased drastically in the US, with more than 80% of healthcare providers making use of the robust solution.

How does the E-Prescribing (e-Rx) EHR software work?

E-prescribing is run by a software system that sends medication prescriptions electronically to pharmacies. When a patient comes to a prescriber, the prescriber can use the E-Prescribing software system on their smartphone or tablet to write and send prescriptions. Refill requests can also be sent by the pharmacy to the prescriber via the powerful software solution.

Common Features Present in E-prescribing Software

The following tools and functionalities are offered by the e-Rx software, helping to improve overall patient safety and deliver high-quality patient care:

  • Medication Selection
  • Electronic Prescription Creator and Submission via Smartphone.
  • Automatic Safety and Alerts Check
  • Refill Authorization
  • Access to Patient Medication History
  • Seamless Integration with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software and CDS systems.

5 Reasons Your Practice Should Implement an e-Rx EMR Software Solution

  1. Reduce margin of error – Electronic prescriptions are extremely clear and accurate as compared to hand-written prescriptions, the dosage is precise which helps to reduce any medication and prescription errors. E-prescriptions provide the most accurate information regarding how long the dosage needs to be taken by the patient and decrease the risk of improper dosage, leading to improved patient safety.
  2. Automatic alerts – A good e-Rx software system integrates with your Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software system which offers the facility of instant clinical alerts. Most visits to the ER in the United States are caused by preventable adverse drug events which can be reduced with the functionality of e-prescribing as they prevent a clinician from prescribing a medication that the patient may be allergic to. Multiple treatments can also be avoided as many e-prescribing software systems offer prompt alerts about duplicate therapies.
  3. Saves time for pharmacy employees – E-prescriptions are accurate and hence it saves time for pharmacy employees as they don’t have to verify medication orders by calling the prescriber. The e-Rx EMR Software system requires specific mandatory fields to be filled out before the order is sent which saves time as every important information is complete.
  4. Meets the criteria of meaningful use –E-prescribing EHR system also meets the complete requirements of meaningful use in the resulting methods; Stage 1 – Required 40% of prescriptions to be sent electronically, Stage 2 – More than 50% of prescriptions required to be sent electronically, Stage 3 – Entails more than 80% of prescriptions to be transmitted electronically.
  5. Prescribe controlled substances with no trouble –  Practitioners can use the e-Rx EMR Software to easily prescribe controlled substances to pharmacies. This results in workflow productivity for the hospital staff and provides convenience to the patients.

Recommended e-Prescribing Software Vendors

The e-prescribing platform is flexible and allows hospitals and practitioners to stay connected with national pharmacies to improve medication adherence and patient safety. If your practice hasn’t switched to an e-prescribing EMR software it is time to change your prescribing methods to satisfy patients and reduce costs. Here are the top-ranked e-Rx software vendors that offer ease of use and complete functionality.