New Alliance Pushes E-Prescribing In MarylandNew Alliance Pushes E-Prescribing In Maryland

More than two dozen health-care organizations, including two competing insurers and several large pharmacy chains, said Tuesday that they're collaborating to get more doctors in Maryland to voluntarily trade in their script pads for electronic prescriptions.

The Maryland Safety Through Electronic Prescribing Initiative, or Step, aims to accelerate the voluntary adoption of E-prescribing among doctors in the state to improve patient safety. Government researchers estimate that each year thousands of Americans have adverse drug reactions, sometimes resulting in death, because of mistakes that could be prevented through technology such as E-prescribing, which eliminates illegible handwriting and red-flags doctors and pharmacists to possible medication allergies and interactions.

In addition to boosting safety, E-prescribing also can improve communication and simplify processes among patients, doctors, pharmacies, and insurers. That includes procedures involved in prescription renewals, checking formularies, and benefit eligibility.

Initially, Step plans to provide physicians and practice managers with classes, workshops, Web conferences, case studies, and white papers related to the benefits of E-prescribing.

That includes "breaking down barriers for physicians to learn from other physicians who have adopted the technologies" and can share both success stories and lessons learned from E-prescribing, says T. Michael Preston, executive director of the Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi), and a member of Step.

"Overall, the goal is to help more physicians down the electronic path toward using IT in their offices," he says. "E-prescribing is among the more achievable first steps, as opposed to full-blown electronic medical records," which requires more dramatic changes in workflow and culture, Preston says.

Besides MedChi, the other 26 stakeholders of Step are Aetna, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delmarva Foundation, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Maryland Academy of Family Physicians, Maryland Health Care Commission, Maryland Medical Group Management Association, Maryland Patient Safety Center, Maryland Pharmacists Association, MedStar Health, Mid-Atlantic Medical Services LLC, and Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, MD Inc.; E-prescribing services vendors RxHub and SureScripts; and pharmacy retailers CVS, Eckerd, Epic Pharmacies, Giant, Kmart, NeighborCare, Rite Aid, Safeway, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and Weis.