Study shows that e-prescribing leads to increase in filled prescriptions

DEERFIELD, Ill. New research conducted by Walgreens and SureScripts has shown that the number of prescriptions received by pharmacies before and after physicians began using electronic prescribing showed an 11 percent increase in new prescriptions filled.

The research involved 100 electronic prescribers across five states, 93 different pharmacy organizations at 14,638 locations and more than 1 million prescriptions, over a 19-month period, which took prescriber information three months before and three months after they began e-prescribing.

“If appropriately used, e-prescribing can open up better lines of communication between all members of the healthcare team,” says Allen Vaida, PharmD, FASHP, executive vice president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. “It also can provide vital drug and patient-specific information during prescribing and ultimately help reduce the risk of adverse drug events.”