NACDS pushes for physician incentives for e-prescribing
ALEXANDRIA, Va. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores sent a letter Monday to all members of Congress, explaining the importance of legislation and regulations that will facilitate the adoption of electronic prescribing.
Specifically, NACDS sought support for the “Medicare Electronic Medication and Safety Protection (E-MEDS) Act of 2007,” which provides physicians with financial incentives to transmit prescriptions to pharmacies electronically in the Medicare program.
In addition, NACDS called for the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Justice to allow e-prescribing technology to be utilized for controlled substances, which make up nearly 20 percent of all prescriptions, but are currently prohibited from being prescribed that way. The ban “effectively forcing physicians who e-prescribe to maintain two separate systems: an electronic system for noncontrolled substances and a paper system for controlled substances. This places a significant burden on physicians and has led many to forego electronic prescribing altogether,” the letter stated.
“E-prescribing is a proven technology that will vastly improve health outcomes for individuals taking medications, reduce prescription errors and save money for public and private health care programs,” said NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson. ”We urge Congressional support in expediting widespread utilization of e-prescribing to enhance health providers’ access to important health care information to help benefit patients.”