Featuring posts written by the DoseSpot e-Prescribing Integration Team!

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

Posted: January 27th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Dental, Digital Health, Medical, Telehealth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

e-Prescribing Tools

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.


e-Prescribing 101, Part III: End Users

Posted: January 26th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, Digital Health, Medical, Telehealth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

e-Prescribing End User; Doctor, Dentist

As we discussed in our previous post, e-Prescribing is the electronic transmission of a prescription from the prescriber’s device to the patient’s pharmacy of choice, therefore replacing the traditional paper prescription.

How does e-Prescribing work for end users?

While e-Prescribing software comes in many shapes and sizes, e-Prescribing integration is directly integrated into healthcare software such as an Electronic Health Record / Electronic Medical Record, telehealth application, or dental practice management solution. By way of integrating e-Prescribing into a healthcare software, the e-Prescribing platform becomes an integral component of a healthcare software’s product offering.

e-Prescribing integration seamlessly allows a prescriber to log into their existing healthcare software, select a patient, then search for, enter and send an e-Prescription for the patient in a few short steps. The process saves the prescriber time while improving patient outcomes.

What are the benefits of a custom, white labeled solution?

When an e-Prescribing solution is “white labeled”, this means the e-Prescribing user interface mirrors the look and feel of the healthcare software in which the e-Prescribing solution has been embedded. Colors, fonts, font sizes, layout – you name it – can all be completely customized to provide a seamless experience for end users.

Furthermore, mobile optimization has become a major trend as more healthcare software solutions are operating in the cloud and prescribers are accessing applications from multiple devices and multiple locations. This is why it’s important that the e-Prescribing functionality performs well in different environments, but most importantly, on smaller screens.

Responsive design is critical in ensuring that any e-Prescribing solution is accessible on every device. It’s the best one size fits all solution as this type of design allows the webpage to expand and contract in order to perfectly fit within any screen in both the traditional office and mobile settings. Ultimately, responsive design cuts down on development time as the e-Prescribing user interface does not need to be adjusted manually for each type of device (i.e. mobile, tablet, laptop, or desktop).

What does it take to cross the finish line and go live?

To go live with e-Prescribing and be able to send prescriptions electronically, all healthcare software companies must go through a Surescriptsâ„¢ e-Prescribing integration review. Surescripts operates the largest health information network that connects the diverse and expansive community of care partners nationwide, including pharmacies, providers, benefit managers, and health information exchanges.

As part of this e-Prescribing integration review, healthcare software companies will have to successfully execute various test scenarios during a web meeting with Surescripts. Test scenarios will be provided for the following services:

  • NewRx: Route new prescriptions to the patient’s pharmacy of choice
  • Refills: Receive prescription renewal requests and submit responses between doctor and pharmacy
  • Medication History: View aggregated medication history data from pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) upon receipt of patient consent.
  • Prescription Benefit: Surescripts’ Prescription Benefit service puts eligibility, benefits and formulary information at a prescriber’s fingertips at the time of prescribing. This enables prescribers to select medications that are on formulary and are covered by the patient’s drug benefit.
  • Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): Product has achieved Surescripts EPCS certification and has provided third-party audit documentation as required by the DEA.

Upon completion, healthcare software companies will be listed on the Surescripts website.

Healthcare software companies also looking for the ability to Electronically Prescribe Controlled Substances (EPCS) will need to go through a similar testing process with an approved e-Prescribing of Controlled Substances auditor such as the Drummond Group Inc., one of the first DEA approved certification bodies for EPCS.

Learn about DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing integration process by downloading our latest Integration Tool Kit.

Don’t miss the other parts of our e-Prescribing 101 series:

e-Prescribing 101, Part I: The Basics

e-Prescribing 101, Part II: Controlled Substances

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.


e-Prescribing 101, Part I: The Basics

Posted: January 26th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, Digital Health, Medical, Telehealth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Another year has come and gone. Time to start fresh, gain new perspective, and bring it back to basics. e-Prescribing basics, that is.

During our reflection on 2016, the DoseSpot realized that there’s so much information out there regarding e-Prescribing and its different components; so many key opinion leaders and incredible resources to tap into to help educate the world about e-Prescribing. However, how could we make it easier? How can we assist those who just want to learn more about e-Prescribing in general without the endless Google searches?

That’s why we decided to create a three-part blog series covering all e-Prescribing basics; a one-stop-shop to answer all of your e-Prescribing questions and curiosities.

We can promise you this – this is one New Year’s resolution we won’t give up on.

Let’s get started.

What is e-Prescribing?

The term e-Prescribing has become a popular buzzword in the healthcare industry, but what exactly does it mean? To put it simply, electronic prescribing, known in short as e-Prescribing, is a method of prescription transaction that allows prescribers to write and send prescriptions to pharmacies electronically instead of writing, phoning-in, or faxing. It ultimately replaces the costly paper prescription pad and tamper-proof printing paper from a prescriber’s office for good.

e-Prescribing solutions have the following capabilities:

  • NewRx: Route new prescriptions to the patient’s pharmacy of choice.
  • Refills: Receive prescription renewal requests and submit responses between doctor and pharmacy.
  • Medication History: View aggregated medication history data from pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) upon receipt of patient consent.
  • Prescription Benefit: Surescripts’ Prescription Benefit service puts eligibility, benefits and formulary information at a prescriber’s fingertips at the time of prescribing. This enables prescribers to select medications that are on formulary and are covered by the patient’s drug benefit.
  • Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): Product has achieved Surescripts EPCS certification and has provided third-party audit documentation as required by the DEA.

What are the benefits?

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

  • Eliminates the time and effort of trying to understand the prescriber’s handwriting, as well as the chance of an error in that translation.
  • 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 prescriber’s instructions.
  • Ensures that any drug-drug and drug-allergy interactions based on a patient’s medication history are found and reported to the prescriber before the prescription order is completed.
  • Checks a patient’s pharmacy benefit and associated formulary at point of care to encourage the prescriber to choose the best medication option, both medically and financially.
  • Increases patient medication pick-up adherence. Between 28% and 31% of all paper prescriptions either never make it to the pharmacy, or are not picked up once patients see how much it will cost.
  • Drives down healthcare costs and improves patient satisfaction by getting medications to patients in a timely, convenient, and secure manner at the patient’s pharmacy of choice.
  • Curbs prescription drug abuse and increases patient safety. No longer will a patient have access to a paper prescription, therefore no more altered dispense quantities, stolen prescription pads, or lost or duplicate prescriptions.
  • Lowers costs associated with purchasing expensive paper prescription pads and the time and resources spent on redundant administrative tasks.
  • Simplifies clinical workflows and allows prescribers to do what they do best and spend more time with their patients.

Who can e-Prescribe?

State or provincial legislation governs who can write a prescription, and under these rulings, any licensed physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, etc. allowed to write prescriptions by hand can also prescribe electronically.

Many electronic prescribing vendors also allow the use of proxy users, such as nurses, medical assistants, or office staff. While they cannot legally send a prescription to a pharmacy, they are able to access the e-Prescribing solution and fill in all required fields of the prescription for a prescriber to then approve and send.

What pharmacies allow e-Prescribing?

All 50 states and D.C. allow the e-Prescribing of both controlled and non-controlled substances and more than 90% of pharmacies can receive e-Prescriptions. Of course this includes the larger retail pharmacy chains such as CVS and Walgreens and mail-order pharmacies like Catamaran and Express Scripts.

Don’t miss the other parts of our e-Prescribing 101 series:

e-Prescribing 101, Part II: Controlled Substances

e-Prescribing 101, Part III: End Users

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.


e-Prescribing of Controlled Substances – How Does Your State Measure Up?

Posted: January 23rd, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Navigating the waters of e-Prescribing can seem like a very daunting task considering the various state and federal regulations. To assist you in understanding, let’s review the information relative to e-Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) in all 50 states and how your state is measuring up.

Until recently, one-half of all U.S. States prohibited e-Prescribing of controlled substances. The thought was that paper prescriptions were safer and more secure. On September 15, 2015, however, Vermont became the last state to allow electronic prescribing of controlled substances, or Schedule II-V medications, making this process legal in all 50 U.S. states.

“We certainly believe that because of the enhanced security associated with e-Prescribing of controlled substances, the opportunity for abuse, misuse, and fraudulent activity is going to be dramatically reduced,” said Ken Whittemore, BSPharm, MBA, Senior Vice President of Professional and Regulatory Affairs at Surescriptsâ„¢, a nationwide health information network.

With this process now legal in all 50 states, and the safer option at that, it may be surprising to find that as of the most recent data available, only 7% of prescribers are sending controlled substances on the Surescripts network.

So, why the discrepancy? Are pharmacies not accepting electronic prescriptions? Are prescribers not able, or willing, to send these prescriptions electronically? Is this process too difficult? Why is this process used in some states so heavily, but so infrequently in others?

Pharmacies are ready!

In 2010, the DEA published a final ruling giving not only practitioners the option to write controlled substances electronically, but also for pharmacies to receive, dispense, and archive electronic prescriptions.

“It became incumbent upon a number of stakeholder groups in the pharmacy industry to tackle the issue and bring states into alignment with the DEA’s rule,” Ken Whittemore, BSPharm, MBA told Pharmacy Today.

Many pharmacy stakeholder groups, including APhA, the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and Surescripts, worked together over a 5-year period to rework some state laws, a process that can take a long time. Between 2010 and 2015, the pharmacy end of the spectrum worked hard on adoption and enablement, while prescriber enablement trailed. Using data from Surescripts, a study published in the January 2015 American Journal of Managed Care found that pharmacies with technology in place to accept e-Prescriptions for controlled substances increased from 13% in 2012 to 30% in 2013. By contrast, only 1% of all prescribers were capable of e-Prescribing controlled substances in 2013.

However, between 2012 and 2013, the number of e-Prescriptions for controlled substances grew dramatically from 1,535 to 52,423. Talk about a rapid jump!

According to the 2015 Surescripts National Progress Report, an average of 81% of pharmacies were enabled for EPCS in 2015. States including Hawaii and Mississippi were at the bottom of this list with less than 70% of pharmacies enabled, while states in the Northeast such as Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island led this list with over 90% of pharmacies enabled for EPCS.

As of December 1, 2016, these numbers have only risen, with both Hawaii and Mississippi now having over 75% of pharmacies enabled. New York and Maine lead the race on that front with 96.8% and 95.2% of pharmacies enabled currently. This is in large part due to the state mandates put into place in 2016 and 2017, respectfully.

How about the prescribers?

With so many pharmacies enabled for EPCS, and legislature allowing this process in all 50 states, it may be surprising to know that an average of 3.39% of prescribers were enabled to e-Prescribe controlled substances according to the 2015 Surescripts National Progress Report.

Lengthy and time-consuming software auditing and prescriber identity proofing processes are likely factors that have stalled prescriber adoption of EPCS, but for pharmacists, the initial setup is much easier. In addition, there have not been enough incentive for prescribers to adopt EPCS.

e-Prescribing was a requirement under the federal Meaningful Use Electronic Health Record (EHR) program, which incentivizes the use of EHRs through financial payments. However, e-Prescribing of controlled substances was specifically exempted from Meaningful Use Stages 1, 2, and 3. For these reasons, it isn’t surprising that in 2015 the state with the highest number of prescribers enabled was New York, as that was one of the only states with an e-Prescribing state mandate in effect at that time.

In 2015, New York had 26.6% of their prescribers enabled for EPCS, with Nebraska not far behind at 15%. Fast forward to December 1, 2016 and prescriber enablement has grown tremendously in some states, but remain dismally low in others. New York now has 71.5% of prescribers enabled, with no other state having even one-third of their prescribers enabled for EPCS. In fact, the average percentage for EPCS enabled prescribers remains even as of December 1, 2016, at only 8.4% despite all of the benefits of EPCS.

Why are these numbers so varied?

Electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) reduces fraud and keeps patients from getting multiple prescriptions for the same drug, so why are some states seeing major buy-in while other states are lagging? Much of this is impacted by states that have legislation in place to either require or reinforce the use of e-Prescribing, as outlined below.

Minnesota

Minnesota was the first state to implement an e-Prescribing mandate in 2008 in order to improve quality outcomes and efficiency in health care. The state mandate required prescribers, pharmacists, pharmacies, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to be up and running with e-Prescribing by January 1, 2011, however, only 13% of prescribers are actually enabled for EPCS as of late. Could this be because legislation doesn’t enforce its own law or penalize prescribers for not adhering to this legislature? Marty LaVenture, director of the Minnesota Office of Health IT and e-Health, seems to agree and notes, “policy levers could be used to encourage full adoption and use of e-Prescribing capabilities.”

New York

As you may already know, New York was the first state to require e-Prescribing of all prescriptions, both controlled and non-controlled, and the first to implement penalties for failing to adhere to this ruling. Penalties include, but are not limited to, loss of license, civil penalties, and/or criminal charges. With the highest rate of prescriber EPCS enablement, it’s evident that New York prescribers are taking this quite seriously.

Maine

Maine is the next state to implement an e-Prescribing regulation as of July 1, 2017 where all opioids prescriptions must be sent electronically. With only 0.6% of prescribers enabled for EPCS in the state according to the Surescripts report, and up to 2.9% as of the beginning of December 2016, it’s clear that Maine has a long way to go for all prescribers to be ready to follow this regulation.

In Summary

Although it’s legal in all 50 states, and there are many reasons EPCS is safer than on paper or another method, there is still a great discrepancy between EPCS enabled pharmacies and EPCS enabled prescribers due in part to the strict requirements put in place on the prescribers. While the statistics referenced here show that provider adoption of EPCS is still low in comparison to the pharmacy adoption we have seen, it’s important to remember that the e-Prescribing of non-controlled substances also took years to reach the level we now see today. It seems the only tried and true way for these numbers to rise quickly and meet the numbers we currently see for pharmacy enablement is to implement regulations and penalties for not adhering to this requirement as outlined in the above state mandates. All eyes are now on Maine to see how their journey goes.

Check out the maps below to see how your state measures up!

 

Author: Lindsey W.

Sources: American Pharmacists Association; USA Today; Surescripts 2015 National Progress Report; Surescripts EPCS; Minnesota Department of Health; Maine Medical Association; e-Prescribing Blog; CMS

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 to more than 150 health care software 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

Posted: October 19th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Telehealth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

 

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.


e-Prescribing by the Numbers 2015

Posted: September 6th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, In the News | Tags: , , , , , , | No Comments »

DoseSpot, e-Prescribing, Electronic Prescribing, Surescripts


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

Posted: August 21st, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, In the News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

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.


ONC Identifies (and Charts) Trends in e-Prescribing

Posted: July 30th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, In the News, Newsletter | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

Earlier this month, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released a Data Brief on trends in e-Prescribing as measured over the past few years. The Data Brief available here highlights compelling statistics surrounding e-Prescribing growth and adoption.  Here is what we found most riveting:

10 states with the highest e-prescribing rates as of April 2014:

  1. Minnesota — 100 percent
  2. Iowa — 95 percent
  3. Indiana — 95 percent
  4. Massachusetts — 94 percent
  5. South Dakota — 90 percent
  6. New Hampshire — 87 percent
  7. North Dakota — 87 percent
  8. Wisconsin — 87 percent
  9. Kentucky — 85 percent
  10. Oregon — 84 percent

10 states with the lowest e-prescribing rates as of April 2014:

  1. Alaska — 48 percent
  2. Nevada — 50 percent
  3. California — 53 percent
  4. New Jersey — 54 percent
  5. New York — 59 percent
  6. Colorado — 60 percent
  7. Hawaii — 60 percent
  8. Idaho — 62 percent
  9. Utah — 62 percent
  10. Tennessee — 63 percent

  • December 2008: Every state with the exception of Massachusetts had physicians e-prescribing using an EHR at a rate  below 20% on the Surescripts Network
  • April 2014: Every state had physicians e-prescribing using an EHR at a rate >40% and the majority of states had at least 70% of their physicians e-prescribing using an EHR

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 has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. To request a demo of DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing integration platforms, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com/.


Medication Adherence Apps Raise Healthcare Hopes

Posted: July 9th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, In the News, Newsletter | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Here at DoseSpot,

We’re all about changing the face of America’s prescription system. With our e-prescribing integration platforms, the goal is to make prescription writing and transmission more efficient and secure. Another technological tool making some innovative headway on the prescription front is the smartphone medication adherence app.

Medication non-adherence is a prevalent and costly problem that contributes to poor treatment outcomes and exhausts valuable healthcare resources. The 2013 National Report on Medication Adherence in America estimated that non-adherence is costing the U.S. health care system a whopping $290 billion annually! Interventions to mitigate non-adherence have been largely unsuccessful in the past, but a slew of easy-to-use apps are hoping to improve outcomes.

Using Apple, Android, or Blackberry smartphones, patients can download medication adherence apps such as (hyperlink) MyMedSchedule, MediSafe and RxmindMe, and set basic medication reminders, create schedules, track lab results and more. Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop once said, “drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them” and if medication adherence apps can reduce existing headache-inducing treatment blunders, U.S. healthcare providers may finally be able to breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

Sources: Medscape and National Community Pharmacists Association

 

For more information on medication adherence apps that are currently on the market, explore this helpful link from the American Pharmacists Association:

http://www.pharmacist.com/medication-adherence-there%E2%80%99s-app.

 

CHALLENGE: Calling all tech-powered women! Do you have what it takes to tackle the U.S. medication adherence issue? If so, check out the 2014 Surescripts Adherence Challenge. Applications are being accepted through July 22!

 

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 has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.


Digital Health Funding Soars

Posted: July 2nd, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, In the News, Standards, Telehealth, Venture funding | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

RockHealth recently published their Digital Health Funding – Midyear Review and I’ve highlighted some key findings below:

In 2013 digital health companies raised $2 billion in venture funding…first six months of 2014 digital health companies have already raised $2.3 billion.

rockhealth, venture funding, digital health, startup, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, dosespot, telehealth, telemedicine

So where’s all the money going?

rockhealth, venture funding, digital health, startup, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, dosespot, telehealth, telemedicine

Here is the full report:

 

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 has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.