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July 22, 2010

ifroehlich

What if eRx were Adopted Nationwide?

We have seen the numbers for what could happen if medical practitioners upstate New York adopted electronic prescribing.  According to this Excellus Study “If all physicians in the upstate region began using these [eRx] systems, which transmit prescription orders directly to pharmacies, more than two million adverse reactions or events – ranging from inconsequential to severe – could be avoided each year.  Practices could potentially prevent 35 deaths, 160 permanent disabilities, 4,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 visits to doctors’ offices per year.”
In addition to preventing staggering numbers worth of detrimental health effects from adverse reactions, the study found that for each percentage point increase in use of generic drugs, health-care spending upstate would be reduced by more than $64 million.
E-prescribing has the potential to drastically improve patient care in upstate New York, and lower healthcare costs as well.  If eRx could achieve these impressive results in upstate New York alone, imagine what could happen if e-prescribing were adopted nationwide.


About ifroehlich

Ms. Froehlich has been with DrFirst since its inception in 2000. In her role as Director of Marketing, she oversees the planning, directing, and coordinating all marketing and public relations efforts at DrFirst. Ms. Froehlich has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.