The success of the original 60-physician pilot led to Henry Ford Medical Group making electronic prescribing through DrFirst Rcopia, the standard for all primary care and medical specialists by the end of 2006.
Rcopia automatically alerts physicians to potentially dangerous drug/drug and drug/allergy interactions as they prescribe. During the pilot program, more than 80,000 prescriptions were changed or cancelled due to drug/drug interaction messages, and providers were alerted to 6,500 potential allergic reactions.
The pilot also demonstrated that Rcopia use had a strong positive impact on formulary compliance. More than 50,000 prescriptions were changed or cancelled due to formulary alerts, which contributed to a 7.3% improvement to the Henry Ford Medical Group’s generic use rate. The company said that this generic use rate would translate into an estimated $3.1 million in pharmacy cost savings over one year.
In virtually every way health care quality and costs can be measured, the benefits of e-prescribing are compelling, said Francine Parker, HAP CEO.
e-Prescribing creates a seamless electronic path from the doctor, to the pharmacist, to the patient. We at HAP are proud to be involved as a catalyst and pacesetter in a collaborative program that already is proving its worth to members and patients, providers and employers.
