In a report to Congress released April 17, HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt announced the results of an electronic prescribing pilot project that support the adoption of new electronic prescribing standards. The pilot project demonstrated that three initial standards are already capable of supporting e-prescribing transactions in Medicare Part D--standard transactions that provide physicians with patients’ formulary and benefit information, medication history, and the fill status of their medications. The report also found that, with some adjustments, e-prescribing can work successfully in long-term care settings.
Some of the initial e-prescribing standards tested by the pilot project were found to have potential but still need further development if they are to be adopted as e-prescribing standards. These include standards used to convey structured patient instructions, a terminology to describe clinical drugs, and messages that convey prior authorization information.
“The findings in this report, along with previously adopted foundation standards, demonstrate that HHS is effectively advancing electronic prescribing, which will continue to help Medicare beneficiaries receive higher quality care,” Secretary Leavitt said. Read the news release.
