Page 36 - Management Theory 2023-2024 Edition

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24. Electronic Prescribing and Its Outcomes

Electronic Prescribing (EP) is an EDI application that allows a physician to transmit a prescription order to a
pharmacy online. Until now physicians cannot access the data at the time of prescribing drugs since they usually
prescribe medications on prescription pads. Due to the recent advancement in the technology field, it is now
possible for physicians to prescribe for patients through electronic prescriptions.

The most important advantage of EP is that it alerts physicians, before writing a prescription, to drug allergies,
drug interactions, specific adverse reactions, inappropriate drugs for the indication, and much more, from
previously stored data.

Advantages of Electronic Prescribing:

1. It reduces healthcare expenses by offering physicians the prospective DUR which may eliminate
expensive emergency hospitalization.

2. It enables physicians to do online consultation.

3. It increases the efficiency of physicians.

4. It helps physicians to comply with drug formulary requirements since all data are available on
computers.

5. Physicians can also access the patient’s complete history through EP.

6. The EP system also alerts the physician to drug interactions, adverse reactions, redundant prescriptions,
and incorrect dosing before the patient’s leaves the physician’s office, so that errors may be corrected
before prescriptions go to the pharmacy.

7. Through EP, a prescription can be sent online or via fax, which gives pharmacists enough time to review
prescriptions before dispensing to patients.

8. EP saves physicians’ and pharmacists’ time by providing “clean” prescriptions to the pharmacy. The
word “clean” means the prescription is so clear that pharmacists are not required to call the physician’s
office to clarify prescriptions.

9. EP also reduces patient’s waiting time in the pharmacy.

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