It’s a Revolution! Trending with Teledentistry

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Independence Day is right around the corner and while the holiday serves as the best BBQ day of the year and the turning point of the American Revolution, DoseSpot is looking at another type of revolution: teledentistry. Some may have heard of it, read about it, maybe even adopted it, but what is it exactly? Simply put, teledentristy is an expansion of the traditional dental practice, where patients can have a virtual visit vs. a physical visit to exchange clinical information and images with their dentist. Of course face-to-face visits will never expire in the dental industry (it’s a bit difficult to receive a cleaning through a smartphone), but teledentistry also allows hygienists and dental assistants to perform procedures across the country while being supervised by a virtual dentist. It seems like a win-win.

In this digital age, everyone wants a faster means of communicating with one another. Taking the time out of work or driving to a dentist’s office for a quick appointment? No, thank you. It’s not only time spent, but more money spent as well. Teledentistry is a sophisticated means to provide affordable preventative care to the public, which in turn helps serve the low-income population and takes an easier hit on the country’s bottom line. Prevent vs. treat is a mantra that should be in everyone’s mind nowadays, especially in this ever-evolving and costly healthcare landscape. It costs a lot less to prevent a problem than to pay for a procedure down the line because of patient neglect or lack of financial means.

Some may argue that true dentistry is a direct encounter between a dentist and patient and they are absolutely right. Teledentistry is not meant to replace the dental chair, but simply serve as an extension. It holds enormous promise and will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of this tele-revolution. Stay tuned!

Sources: Workforce; Wall Street Journal

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 Opioid Epidemic—Are Dentists the Black Sheep?

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Once again, the dental industry is in the hot seat regarding their perceived contribution to the opioid epidemic that the United States is currently facing. As part of their “Hooked” series, NBC News recently reported on this deadly triangle: the relationship between dentists, drugs, and dependence and how dentists are at the forefront of this crisis, even citing that they’re taking the easy way out when treating patients.

“We see it across medical and dental practices that physicians and dentists are giving patients extra medication just in case to avoid seeing the patient again or writing for refills. This is an obvious problem that leaves a lot of left over medication and patients hold on to it.” -Dr. Brian Bateman, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoenocomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The article highlights a young woman’s journey from substance abuse to recovery, stating that her addiction to opioids started at her dentist’s office. She was having her wisdom teeth removed, a very common procedure among adolescents that typically warrants pain medication, but she was prescribed a 30-day supply and was not properly educated on the effects an opioid can produce. Having only experienced pain for a few days, she continued to take the medication because it made her feel invincible, powerful even, and the extra pills were just laying around. Unfortunately, this is how opioid addiction usually starts: with a prescription. Patients these days are also going to extreme lengths to obtain these substances such as doctor shopping to receive more medication, buying or selling on the black market, and sharing prescriptions with friends and family.

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

Of course this isn’t the first time dentists are being victimized as the gatekeepers for these controlled substances. There has been a dramatic rate of response from organizations across the country in regards to this increasing epidemic. Senator Dick Durbin of IL recently wrote a letter to the American Dental Association (ADA), among other associations, which ultimately bashed the industry and claimed that dentists fail to take responsibility for its role contributing to the crisis and that they’re taking advantage of perceived financial incentives to over-treat pain. Likewise, articles published by JAMA and Harvard have made notion that the dental industry is a crucial piece of this epidemic puzzle.

Let’s play devil’s advocate and take a step back to evaluate what is most likely going on in dental offices. What are the pain points, exactly?

Paper prescriptions are not their friend.

Prescription pads or print-out prescriptions leave an immense amount of risk. Who’s to say a patient won’t alter the pill quantity, claim they lost their prescription, or worse, steal a prescription pad? It’s very easy to swipe a small piece of paper without anyone noticing.

They don’t know the unknown.

If a dentist doesn’t know a patient’s medication history, current medications, allergies, or any history of substance abuse, they cannot make an educated decision when it comes to what they prescribe.

They’re simply trying to do their job.

When a patient goes in for a procedure, a dentist naturally wants to make them as comfortable as possible—before, during, and post-surgery. However, prescribing opioids and at high amounts have become the norm nowadays and other alternatives, such as higher doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, aren’t even considered.

Luckily, e-Prescribing can mend all of these pain points, while also creating greater clinical efficiency and relieving a dentist’s anxiety for potential risk. It’s completely acceptable to not know all the answers or available resources that are out there as we combat this opioid crisis, but it’s not okay to turn a blind eye. Bottom line is: education is crucial during a time like this. Don’t remain a victim; take action and spearhead the change.

Sources: NBC News; JAMA; Harvard; Boston Globe

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.

National Safety Month; The Danger of a Prescription

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The National Safety Council, in an effort to create awareness and reduce the leading causes of injury and death, has established June as National Safety Month. When one thinks of safety, perhaps the following comes to mind: wearing a seatbelt, keeping a close watch on little ones, or having emergency numbers on hand at all times. However, many fail to remember the importance of safety for prescribed medications—specifically prescriptions of controlled substances.

In 2012 alone, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills. In comparison to ten, even five years ago, this number is dramatically increasing as time goes on and more and more opioid overdoses are being reported on a daily basis. Prince? Elvis? Sigmund Freud? Bueller…? While their stories may have been reported nationwide, people from all over the country and from all different backgrounds are unfortunately experiencing this crisis right in their backyard.

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

The dental industry is often victimized as the gate keeper of such prescriptions, but luckily there are efforts in place to monitor how, when, and to whom these controlled substances are prescribed. That is, so long as the dental community, both prescribers and Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), are ready to step up and take action. Fortunately, electronic prescribing (e-Prescribing) has the power to assist in alleviating the opioid epidemic that is upon us, but how exactly?

• e-Prescribing diminishes the possibilities of duplicate or lost prescriptions since the prescription is sent directly to the patient’s pharmacy
• A patient will no longer have a paper prescription where the dispense quantity can be altered
• Prescribers will have access to a patient’s medication history, therefore they can determine if a patient is “doctor shopping” or has a history of substance abuse

Be an innovator and stay ahead of the curve, all while enhancing patient safety and quality of care. A patient’s wellbeing and the ever increasing amount of lost lives depends on it.

Sources: World Health Organization (WHO); American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with 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 since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

The Maine Mandate—Confronting Controlled Substances Head-On

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The annual Maine Dental Association (MDA) Convention commenced in Rockport, ME on Friday, June 10^th and it’s safe to say the event was a tremendous success. The DoseSpot team was fortunate to not only attend, but also announce the keynote speaker, Dr. Harold L. Crossley, whom is well known for his expertise regarding street drugs and the chemical dependency associated with such drugs. In his two-part session, “Street Drugs Exposed”, Dr. Crossley provided intriguing insight to the controlled substance epidemic that the United States is currently facing. He explained that chemical dependency is a primary, chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. Dr. Crossley also further defined the term “chemical dependency” as a primary illness or disease that is characterized by addiction to a mood-altering chemical. It is progressive and chronic, and if left untreated, it can be fatal.

Headlines regarding overdoses seem to appear on a daily basis and one thing is certain—these drugs do not discriminate. The American Society of Addiction Medicine states that four out of five new heroin users are first addicted to prescription opioids because when the pill supply runs out, heroin is typically the next option. To be fair, the origins of this epidemic aren’t necessarily because of a prescriber’s bad behavior. The majority are well-intentioned prescribers that are simply trying to do their job the best way they know how. This disease and the increasing rate of fatalities, however, are devastating local communities across the country and have caused some states to take aggressive action.

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

In an effort to better monitor the prescribing of such drugs, Maine has become the second state behind New York to mandate electronic prescribing for controlled substances and the third state to set a limit on the duration and daily strength of opioid prescriptions. Prescribers will also be required to partake in addiction training every two years. This may ignite some eye-rolls and perhaps a tinge of anxiety, but let’s look at the bigger picture. Dentists are often criticized for “irresponsibly” prescribing controlled substances and “taking advantage” of perceived financial incentives to over-treat pain. On the other hand, the majority of dentists believe they have been victims of prescription fraud or theft. The good news is, e-Prescribing can alleviate many pain points that dentists and society are collectively experiencing.

Here at DoseSpot, we understand that making any type of change can be difficult, but e-Prescribing doesn’t need to be one of them. Contact us today to learn how seamless the e-Prescribing transition can be with DoseSpot on your side.

Sources: Portland Press Herald; Boston Globe

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot, partnered with Lexicomp, is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with 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 since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Luminello Adds The DoseSpot e-Prescribing Platform to New Psychiatry EMR

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NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MA – DoseSpot, an industry leader in e-Prescribing integration platforms for medical, dental and telehealth software, today announced that Luminello, a user-friendly, psychiatrist-designed EMR, has successfully integrated DoseSpot.  Through the partnership, Luminello successfully completed Surescripts certification and their prescribers can now e-Prescribe controlled and non-controlled prescriptions to more than 65,000 pharmacies nationwide.

Luminello is a new psychiatry EMR for mental health providers designed by Dr. Ken Braslow, a board-certified psychiatrist in Child/Adolescent & Adult Psychiatry with an active private practice in San Francisco and Berkeley, California and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Luminello was built to help solve the challenges of running a psychiatry practice and Dr. Braslow needed an e-Prescribing solution to tightly integrate with his psychiatry specific workflow. The DoseSpot platform was Luminello’s top choice due to DoseSpot’s quick e-Prescribing integration process and quality customer service. The DoseSpot platform not only meets the e-Prescribing integration needs of Luminello, but it also provides prescribers with a simple and intuitive user interface for e-Prescribing controlled and non-controlled prescriptions.

To read the complete Press Release please visit DoseSpot.com/luminello-press-release.

E-Prescribing 101

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Electronic prescribing is not just the ability to send prescriptions electronically to pharmacies. E-Prescribing can also increase care quality in a number of ways:

• E-prescribing makes sure that the prescriber is providing enough specific information for the pharmacist to fill the prescription, including the name of the drug, the dosage, its physical form, the route, and the physician’s instructions.
• Electronic prescribing software eliminates the time and effort of trying to understand the prescriber’s handwriting, as well as the chance of an error in that translation.
• E-prescribing significantly reduces the chance that the prescriber’s intentions are misinterpreted.
• E-prescribing is often used in conjuction with clinical decision support to ensure that any drug to drug interactions or drug to diagnosis issues are found and reported to the physician before the prescription order is completed.

Electronic prescribing is considered one of the most important areas of Healthcare IT, which is why Medicare created payment incentives for physicians who use a qualified e-prescribing system. In 2009, the incentives are an increase of 2% in revenue for each patient when e-prescribing is used. Due to the 2009 HITECH Act, electronic prescribing is required as part of any EMR (EHR) which qualifies for Medicare reimbursement in 2011.