Nuts and Bolts of e-Prescribing: The Tools You Need to Get Started

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Now that you’re well-versed in the world of e-Prescribing, let’s go one step further and prepare you for your own health care software’s e-Prescribing journey.

Here are some helpful tools to get you started.

Integration Tool Kit

The DoseSpot e-Prescribing Integration Tool Kit reviews everything you need to know about e-Prescribing integrations and what a partnership with DoseSpot e-Prescribing entails. Specifically, you will learn:

• DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing Integration Platforms: Integration JumpStart and Integration Plus+
• The markets we serve: Medical, Dental, and Digital Health
• Development features, functionality, and API
• Integration project cycles
• The benefits of partnering with DoseSpot

Get your copy here.

How to Prepare Guide

With more than 150 e-Prescribing integrations under our belt, we know a thing or two about what an e-Prescribing integration requires. In our How to Prepare Guide, we take the guesswork out by providing you with the following information:

• Specific patient demographic requirements
• Character limits and field requirements
• How to correctly transmit patient demographic information from your health care software to DoseSpot

Get your copy here.

Need more information? Feel free to schedule a meeting with us!

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

The Impact of Digital Health on the Ages

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How does digital health affect the circle of life?

Today, a patient’s well-being rests in the hands of multiple healthcare professionals, including primary care providers, specialists and surgeons – and sometimes in their own hands with the latest medical devices and technological advances.

In keeping up with this new delivery model, it’s important to understand how people of all ages, pediatric to geriatric, attribute to the nation’s overall population health, its effects on the healthcare system and the United States’ bottom line, while also understanding how technology can play a major role.

This free eBook addresses:

• The definition of digital health, the current landscape, as well as what’s to come
• How individuals of all ages affect the health care system and how digital health can help
• Three health care specialties positioned for digital health growth
• The role of technology as we shift to value based care
• Missing pieces of the digital health offering

Download your free copy here!

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescriptsâ„¢ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Docity Meets Increasing Patient Demands with Innovative Telehealth Platform and Integration of DoseSpot e-Prescribing Solution

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NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MA – Docity, a veteran-owned, connected telehealth platform that enables real time HIPAA-compliant communications between healthcare providers and patients, has announced their strategic, patient-driven integration of DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing solution.

The key component of Docity’s business model is simple: to put patients first by listening to their needs and adapting a digital healthcare system based on those needs.

“Docity’s business is driven solely by the patient-centric model and DoseSpot understood that crucial factor from the very beginning,” said James Cowan, CEO, Docity. “As part of this model, Docity knew that incorporating e-Prescribing was a non-negotiable. E-Prescribing isn’t just a feature; it’s something you must have in today’s competing market.”

Prior to integrating DoseSpot, Docity was offering their connected health platform to several clinics with existing patients, but prescribing was done on the clinician’s own terms. Since the integration with DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing solution, Docity will now be able to offer a comprehensive digital platform to serve the needs of individual patients on a subscription basis.

“The integration process with DoseSpot was a breeze,” Cowan added. “Their team was very flexible and actively engaged, working around the clock to ensure that Docity met al Surescripts certification requirements in a timely manner. Furthermore, they were able to work directly with our developers and their project management tool kept everyone organized which made for a seamless process overall.”

Docity is not only meeting the increasing demands of patients and providers, but the DoseSpot integration has better leveraged relationships with key stakeholders, primarily from a compliance perspective.

“Since integrating with DoseSpot, Docity has seen significant buy-in from highly sought after individuals, providers and companies in the healthcare community who are more eager than ever to stand behind our vision,” said Cowan. “It’s a win-win for both parties.”

“Our partnership with Docity is rooted in understanding and listening to both the patients’ and providers’ demands. Patient-centricity is a current healthcare trend we are committed to upholding as the healthcare landscape continues to evolve,” said Greg Waldstreicher, CEO, DoseSpot. “As a telehealth company, Docity recognized that e-Prescribing is a key component of the value-based delivery model and should be interwoven at the forefront to create a seamless healthcare experience for all involved.”

To learn more about how Docity is meeting the demands of the healthcare community with comprehensive and innovative solutions, please visit www.DoseSpot.com or contact Shauna Leighton, Shauna@DoseSpot.com.

About Docity

Docity Health is a connect health startup headquartered in Chattanooga, TN. Their mission is to connect providers with patients and patients with their health through on demand access to healthcare. For additional information please visit www.Docity.com.

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescriptsâ„¢ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

DoseSpot Forecast: 3 Segments Positioned for Telehealth Growth

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It’s no surprise that technology should be considered a key player as we shift to value-based care. With smartphones, tablets and computers, health information is readily available for patients with a simple click of a button. Why should a consultation with a healthcare professional be any different?

Telehealth greatly increases the scope of the healthcare industry and is bound to open huge opportunities in increasing the quality of healthcare. The ultimate goal here, is to prevent hospital readmissions through better management of individuals with chronic conditions, while also reducing associated costs. By enabling remote patient monitoring and remote access to clinicians, market growth is inevitable as awareness and implementation of standards for reimbursement and adoptions of these care models expands.

While several reports claim that “technology gets in the way of the patient experience,” patients are in fact the ones demanding such access to care. This increase in patient demand for telehealth services has prompted many companies and healthcare organizations to think outside of the box and reevaluate the patient-centric model, while questioning what that care model really means to a patient.

Well, it’s simple. Patients want a customized, cost-effective and convenient healthcare experience to which telehealth can provide.

A recent report states that the global telehealth market was valued at $14.3 Billion in 2014 and is estimated to reach $36.3 Billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 14.30% from 2014 to 2020.

With these numbers in tow, we predict the most growth in three different segments:

Behavioral Health and Addiction

As mentioned in a previous post, telehealth has the ability to bridge the gaps in care of behavioral health patients and providers. Not only does it provide a convenient, more comfortable and less expensive medical consultation, but it broadens accessibility to patients whom may not have many options when seeking a behavioral health provider, especially in rural areas. Unfortunately, the lack of psychiatrists and addiction specialists across the nation, as well as the stigma often involved, are contributing to the mental health and addiction issues and creating barriers to appropriate care.

Patients will see their primary care physician and may not receive the exact treatment plan that they need; after all, primary care physicians do not specialize in behavioral health or addiction and often, these illnesses require a lot of time and patience to which the physician may not be able to accommodate. Telehealth will be able to connect patients in need with specialists regardless of their location who know how to treat these specific health issues.

This effective care model will not only lessen the hit on the nation’s bottom line as more and more individuals grapple with suicide, addiction, and other mental health issues, but also revolutionize the way people view the stigma involved and encourage patients to seek help as they are able to receive treatment from the comfort of their own home.

Geriatric Care

Geriatric patients stand to benefit tremendously as a digital health consumer. As mobility can be especially difficult for these patients, the ability to see a physician remotely removes one of the largest barriers to care. Furthermore, transporting patients of this age may potentially do more harm than good.

With telemedicine, providers can more quickly spot at-risk patients and provide interventions to avoid an otherwise unnecessary hospital admission. Similarly, nursing homes can partner with health systems to provide bedside care for their residents at a fraction of the price of an onsite physician.

These infrastructure synergies provide connectivity with electronic health records (EHRs) and create clear communication among hospitals, senior care facilities, referring physicians and patient families. They also provide the link to population based management databases and other health care analytic functions to measure value.

Surgery

Many surgical departments find telehealth to be a more convenient and cost-effective way for pre- and post- operative instructions for procedures of all magnitudes including wisdom teeth extraction, colonoscopies, stent placement and more.

With in-person visits and paper instructions, patients may misinterpret or even forget important information relative to their surgery. This includes what medications to stop taking and how to physically prepare for surgery, while providing a clear, direct line of answers for any questions a patient may have. With instructions digitally delivered prior to surgery, telehealth reduces patient no shows and saves valuable scheduled operating room time.

For post-op patients, providers can check the patient visually, ensuring that patients are following their treatment plans and making adjustments as needed. Through this continuous connection, providers are empowered to deliver the guidance that many patients need as they go through the healing process. These virtual check-ins ensure the patient is on the road to recovery, thus reducing readmission rates all without the patient ever having to leave their home.

Furthermore, telehealth can improve treatment and medication compliance, specifically with controlled substances, i.e. pain medication. Opioid addiction often begins at the hands of a prescriber and with the nation currently facing an opioid epidemic, marrying technology and follow-up appointments when prescribing these types of medications serves as the optimal solution for the safety of all involved.

Technology should no longer be viewed as a barrier to care, but rather embraced in order to improve the healthcare industry, including the improvement of interoperability as well as patient outcomes. Telehealth not only meets the ever increasing demands of patients, but it also assists in preventative care by creating greater access to such care, thus reducing down-the-road costs and burdensome associated with chronic disease. With many chronic diseases being completely preventable, the prevent vs. treat mantra should be sound in every healthcare professional’s mind, while realizing that telehealth is a seamless way of delivering healthcare for all involved.

There may currently be barriers in place regarding reimbursement from payers, but that’s sure to change as more and more payers jump on board for this new delivery model. After all, who’s to say telehealth won’t become the norm and be known as simply….health?

Sources: American Well; OpenPR; mHealth Intelligence; Healthcare IT News

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

The Uber of Healthcare…No, Really.

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As the healthcare industry shifts to a value-based care delivery model, that is, the value equivalent to patient outcomes over cost, more and more initiatives are being introduced as a way to combat the ever-increasing wasted costs our healthcare system experiences. This includes efforts to reduce hospital readmissions, better manage pharmacy drug spend and medication adherence, and broaden access to care, especially for the elderly, disabled and low-income patients.

While many programs are in place to provide services for the above mentioned, one may not realize how transportation costs are attributing to the rising healthcare spend. One may also not view Uber as an innovative solution for reducing such costs, however the company, partnered with Circulation, has recently announced a HIPAA compliant pilot program with certain hospitals that will provide non-emergency medical transportation in urban areas within Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Why does this matter?

In a given year, 3.6 Million Americans, including almost one million children, will miss doctor’s appointments due to a lack of transportation or one’s inability to drive, resulting in wasted spend for the healthcare system. More specifically, Medicaid spends $3 Billion per year on non-emergency medical transportation, with a third of those payments being deemed inappropriate.

How does it work?

Circulation is integrated with existing and on-demand secure healthcare information systems that schedules non-emergency medical rides that are affordable and tailored for patients’ specific needs such as wheelchair accessibility. Patients do not even need to utilize the Uber mobile app or own a smartphone. They can simply call to schedule their pick-up time and after dispatch confirms their eligibility and transport authorization, they will receive a text, call or email confirming the driver’s estimated pick-up time and description of the vehicle to which they are then safely driven to and from their destination.

Research thus far has proven to reduce wait times for transportation by almost 30 percent and cut costs by almost a third, while boasting patient satisfaction at 80 percent.

Uber and Circulation provide more than just a ride – they are creating a seamless experience for patients, providers and hospital staff all from one convenient interface and in real-time. The system not only allows the scheduling of transportation, but also notifies providers when a patient has arrived for their appointment.

With the current unmodernized healthcare transportation system in place, this program proves to be an innovative step in the right direction.

Sources: Business Wire; HealthcareIT News; Circulation; JAMA

Photo Credit: Google Play

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Bridging the Gap Between Telehealth and Behavioral Health

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Improving the U.S. healthcare system requires the simultaneous pursuit of three ideals: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations and reducing per capita costs of healthcare. “Value-based care” after all, does have its reasons behind the term. In keeping up with this new delivery model, it’s important to understand how behavioral health attributes to population health, its effects on the healthcare system and the nation’s bottom line. This is where technology can play a major role.

In a given year, nearly 44 million adults experience mental illness, with a quarter of them living with a substance use co-disorder. Increasing access to mental health professionals via technology is simply a smart solution as more and more individuals grapple with suicide, addiction, and other mental health issues. Unfortunately, the stigma often associated with mental illness is creating a barrier to treatment, but telehealth companies are realizing this enormous growth opportunity and are remaining at the forefront by providing a more convenient and less expensive medical consultation.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

Since counseling really only requires the ability for patients and providers to speak via video or phone, utilizing telehealth applications allows patients to receive treatment without judgement in the comfort of their own home. It creates a safe space for mental health dialogue, thus aiming to reduce hospital admissions and its associated costs. Therefore, behavioral health must embrace technology and its ability to bridge the gaps in care to the benefit of patients nationwide.

To expand upon the evolving increase in technological access to care, it’s important to note that less than 50% of Americans who are prescribed medications to treat mental health conditions take them as directed, if at all, according to industry reports. Marrying telehealth and efforts such as medication adherence programs can assist a patient’s road to recovery while reducing the $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year associated with serious mental illness in America.

Sources: Health Affairs; HealthcareDIVE; National Alliance on Mental Illness; Forbes

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

4 Signs Your Company is Ready for e-Prescribing

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In a recent post, we discussed that mandatory e-Prescribing is the commonsense solution for opioid addiction across the country, but that may ignite some anxiety in companies that have yet to embrace the technology. Don’t worry, we’re here to help! With 50 states and the District of Columbia on board and ready to e-Prescribe both controlled and non-controlled substances, more and more companies and pharmacies are quickly becoming certified for electronic prescribing. Let’s take the deep dive together and evaluate your clinical workflows with these four reasons your company may be ready to upgrade to e-Prescribing:

You want to ensure patient safety and quality of care to the highest degree

When a patient comes into a provider’s office, of course the purpose is to help this patient in any which way, however how can you be absolutely certain that this patient has good intentions or yet, can remember every medication they may be taking or have taken? With e-Prescribing, you can take the guesswork out by having access to their full medication history and you will also be alerted about any potential drug-to-drug and drug-to-allergy interactions.

You want to simplify clinical workflows and enable providers to spend more time with patients

The implementation of an e-Prescribing system will reduce the time spent on pharmacy calls and faxes, while also reducing clinical errors and time spent deciphering a provider’s handwriting. The automation and electronic efficiency put in place will allow providers to do what they do best and spend more time with their patients, while also improving the value of treatment relative to patient outcomes and medication adherence.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

You want to lower costs

Not only will you have access to a patient’s full medication history, you will also have visibility into their pharmacy benefits and associated formulary at point of care. This encourages the use of generic medications or lower cost equivalent medications which in turn has a lower out-of-pocket cost for the patient. E-Prescribing also reduces costs associated with both providers and pharmacies by saving time and resources. A study conducted by the Medical Group Management Association shows that more than $247,500 per year was spent on unnecessarily complex or redundant administrative tasks and $19,444 per year was spent on phone calls with pharmacies resolving drug formulary issues.

You want to combat prescription drug abuse

We see it on the news, we hear about it from a family member or friend, and the truth of the matter is, the controlled substances abuse epidemic, particularly with opioids, is not slowing down. The good news is, e-Prescribing can help. No longer will a patient have access to a paper prescription where it can easily be lost, stolen, or tampered with since the prescription will be sent directly to the pharmacy. Having access to their medication history will also assist providers in knowing if this patient is doctor shopping for such substances.

The benefits that electronic prescribing has to offer both providers and their patients greatly eliminates risk regarding fraud and drug abuse, as well as associated costs. Here at DoseSpot, we understand that making any type of change can be difficult, but we’ll be with you every step of the way. Our platforms are not only affordable, intuitive and easy to use, but they’re designed to integrate with any healthcare software whether it be medical, dental, or digital. Contact us today to learn more!

About DoseSpot
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Is Telehealth Changing the Game for Healthcare?

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A study recently published by The New England Journal of Medicine stated that telehealth is positioned to revolutionize medical care. It’s fair to say that technologies are making a lot of things possible that wouldn’t have happened even a few years ago, but it’s also fair to say that this new age of telemedicine poses new risks and a few hurdles to overcome for the healthcare industry, providers, and patients alike.

One limitation that the industry is currently experiencing is the adoption of reimbursement for medical delivery systems by payers across the country, specifically the lack of coverage and “unequal” treatment of receiving care via technological advances. Luckily, certain states have put telehealth parity laws into place, thus requiring coverage and reimbursement for telehealth under private insurance, Medicaid, and workers compensation as though services were provided in person. Medicare, on the other hand, seems to be last to join the party which makes sense considering the population it serves.

Want to learn more? Download our free telehealth whitepaper!

Throughout the article, the biggest issue rings loudly: the digital divide between the industry and the populations they serve, whether that be the elderly, lower income individuals, or the less educated. These groups are less likely to have the means to participate in telehealth options. No computer or smartphone = no digital health adoption.

While there are a few bumps in the road, telehealth does serve up some benefits as well:

• Doctors across several specialties are easily accessible for patients. This helps individuals with time constraints, lack of transportation or means to visit a doctor, and includes those whom have chronic diseases that need to be monitored closely and more frequently.
• Telehealth is cost-effective. What one may pay toward their deductible or out-of-pocket maximum for an in-office visit is undoubtedly lower than an e-visit which can typically be found for $50 or less.
• E-visits will contribute to less hospital readmissions, therefore reducing overall healthcare and drug spend which is astronomical in this country.

Ultimately, telehealth is meant to be an extension of the provider’s office, not a replacement. It will enable medical professionals to meet the growing burden of chronic disease, while enhancing the patient-centric, value-based care model the United States is currently trying to implement.

What do you think of this shift to digital health? Exciting or nerve-wracking? Share your thoughts with me below!

Sources: The New England Journal of Medicine

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

“The Facebook Treatment:” Boston’s Latest Patient Engagement Study

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“Time to check Facebook, it’s good for your health.” Most of us have never heard these words uttered by a physician–and if we did, confusing looks would likely ensue. But in the heart of Boston, Partners HealthCare is showing us that social media–specifically, the ever-popular Facebook–may positively impact young adults with health issues.

At Partners HealthCare in Boston, preliminary results of a study involving asthmatic teenagers found significant improvement in engagement and symptom control when patients received reminders and encouragement from both clinicians and researchers via Facebook. Dr. Joseph Kvedar, Vice President of Connected Health at Partners HealthCare, presented these early stage findings at the mHealth + Telehealth World Conference in Boston this week and stated that a peer-reviewed publication for this study is in the works.

The Study

Partners Connected Health (formerly known as the Center for Connected Health) joined forces with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Pulmonology to create a private Facebook group for pediatric asthma patients ages 14-17. Partners provided the private group, only viewable by invited users, with access to a password-protected website where study participants could take the Asthma Control Test (ACT), a survey measuring asthma control.

Clinicians and academic researchers sent monthly reminders–with links to the ACT–along with educational information to each study participant via Facebook. The alerts were displayed just like any other Facebook reminder, making them salient and easy to access. After a 12-month period, Partners Connected Health achieved a 79% engagement rate with approximately 125 teen participants in the Facebook group–compared to an average engagement rate of around 18% with the ACT alone.

Patient engagement is a vital component of the treatment process and DoseSpot strives to improve engagement for dental, medical and telehealth/digital health software companies alike! Contact us today to learn more about how DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing platform can lead to increased patient engagement and effective treatment plans.

SOURCE: MedCityNews

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

DoseSpot Startup Spotlight: Pager

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Startup: Pager

Founders: Philip Eytan, Gaspard de Dreuzy and Oscar Salazar (he co-founded Uber!)

Website: https://pager.com

Fun Fact: Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures has backed Pager

Funding: $24.4 Million

Located in: New York, NY

Overview: a Manhattan-based doctor-on-demand service, Pager gives patients the option to forgo a trip to the emergency room or urgent care center by offering the ability to order a doctor directly to the home. Currently available in all five boroughs, Pager is effectively used for the treatment of common infections and conditions such as bronchitis, ear infections, burns and sprains.

Having treated over 3,000 patients since its launch in 2014, Pager aims to connect patients with the right type of care in an immediate and convenient fashion. Moving beyond urgent care treatment scenarios, Pager’s slew of services also includes health checks for metrics such as blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels along with physical exams and tests required for camp, school and employment. A home visit for first-time users runs a rate of $50 and $200 thereafter. Patients can also consult a doctor by phone for $25 and exchange text messages with photos to address conditions such as rashes and insect bites.

Looking ahead to future plans, Pager hopes to expand to San Francisco within the next month or so. After that, it will consider Los Angeles and Chicago as probable sites for expansion. Keep an eye out for a full regional launch list come 2016!

Interested in learning about e-Prescribing and telehealth? Download our Telehealth Whitepaper today and become an expert!

To read more about Pager and the services this New York-based healthcare startup offers, check out the company website here.

SOURCE: Crain Communications Inc. and VentureBeat

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.