As the stereotype goes, physicians’ handwriting is notoriously illegible. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new electronic prescribing system designed to eliminate medication errors caused by people misreading handwritten prescriptions. (Source)
Kerry Weems, CMS acting administrator said “more than 1.5 million Americans are injured every year by drug errors. E-prescribing lets providers know—up front—their patients’ medication history and the risk of dangerous interactions.”
CMS has set up incentives for physicians to adopt the e-prescribing system. Those who use it may earn a payment of two percent of total allowed Medicare charges during 2009. Physicians also may earn a two percent incentive payment for successfully reporting measures under the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative.
A qualified e-prescribing system would be capable of communicating with the patient’s pharmacy, helping doctors identify the right drugs and give patients information about lower priced alternatives, etc.
Better quality and more efficient care are two goals of the program.
