MetroHealth System Now Offers Quick and Convenient E-Prescribing New system improves medication efficiency for patients and medical staff
 Getting a prescription can often mean a long wait at the pharmacy, but that’s no longer an issue for MetroHealth patients.
Through a new electronic prescribing system, MetroHealth doctors can now send electronic prescriptions directly to the patient’s pharmacy, anywhere in the country. The system also allows doctors to check a patient’s benefits immediately, so they will know if a prescribed medication is not covered by the patient’s insurance and can issue a different prescription before the patient leaves the office.
In addition, doctors won’t have to rely on a patient’s memory on whether they have been taking their medications properly because the system will provide a dispense history of previous prescriptions ordered.
“Seeing dispense history will help us provide higher quality care because patients cannot always remember what medications they are on or how well they take their medications,” said David Kaelber, MD, MetroHealth’s Chief Medical Informatics Officer.
In its first week, the e-prescription system was used more than 10,000 times by over 500 MetroHealth physicians.
“E-prescribing is going very well. Earlier this week, when I would ask my patients if they wanted their prescriptions sent directly to their pharmacy, the common reaction was ‘this is great, what a wonderful use of technology by MetroHealth,’” said David Kaelber, MD, MetroHealth’s Chief Medical Informatics Officer.
Under the new system, medical staff is now asking patients for their preferred pharmacy when the patient checks in at the doctor’s office. Prescriptions then are sent electronically to the pharmacy before the patient arrives, thereby reducing time at the pharmacy because the medication information is already in the pharmacy’s computer system.
By implementing the e-prescribing system, MetroHealth is adhering to federal guidelines that call for electronic health records and related programs in all hospitals. MetroHealth was the first Cleveland hospital system to fully implement electronic health records in 1999.
Related Links
|
