What is ePrescribing and Why is it Vital for Providers, Patients?

An increase in interoperability and access to patient data triggered an ePrescribing increase in 2019. The introduction of ePrescribing in 2003 brought a more convenient, cheaper, and safer prescribing alternative for doctors, pharmacies, and patients.

“With electronic prescribing, or ‘e-Prescribing,’ health care providers can enter prescription information into a computer device – like a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer – and securely transmit the prescription to pharmacies using a special software program and connectivity to a transmission network,” according to The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).

Once a pharmacy receives a request for a prescription, it can start filling the medication immediately.

Momentum began for ePrescribing when it was introduced in the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) in 2003. It then became more prevalent, and it garnered more publicity when a July 2006 Institute of Medicine report said it reduced medical errors, which helped build further awareness of ePrescribing’s role in increasing patient safety.