E-Prescribing
CareFirst
The initial expense and complexity of healthcare information technology may be prohibitive for providers and/or insurers. A successful, well-executed implementation requires financial and personnel resources for planning, deployment, and outcomes measurement. However, a partnership with another stakeholder can bring about faster, more robust results than either entity may be able to accomplish on its own.
Program Elements
- Electronic prescribing ("e-prescribing") was identified as a way to impact costs and increase patient safety.
- In 2004, CareFirst partnered with DrFirst, a Maryland-based company, to deploy their system to 500 providers.
- Participating providers were given a wireless-enabled PDA (personal digital assistant) and access to the e-prescribing software (Rcopia).
- Prescriptions written using the system could be sent electronically to the pharmacy to be filled, even before the patient arrives to pick it up.
- If the pharmacy is unable to accept electronic transmissions, a fax could be generated.
- Rcopia provides information and warnings to providers as they write a prescription, using member data provided by CareFirst. When a provider writes a prescription using the system, potential drug interactions and allergies are flagged, as are prescriptions outside the CareFirst formulary. This allows providers to make the most informed choice about prescriptions for their patients.
Program Results
- Over the pilot year, approximately 500 providers used the system furnished by DrFirst and have registered a total of 345,000 prescription transactions.
- Participating providers showed a 4% increase in formulary compliance during the pilot year, resulting in yet-unmeasured savings to the plan.
- Over the course of the pilot year, 2,800 potential drug interactions and allergy warnings were flagged, resulting in the cancellation of potentially harmful or fatal prescriptions.
Contact
Peter Stoessel, Medical Systems and Business Development,
703-654-6414, peter.stoessel@carefirst.com
