Software Helps Physicians Comply with Legible Prescription Laws

Illegible handwriting may be appropriate for a movie star writing an autograph but not for a physician filling out a prescription. Although doctors’ terrible handwriting is a common joke, medication errors are not a funny matter, and in fact, are costly and harmful. With the growing media attention to medication errors, physicians are now being required to write prescriptions more legibly by hospital management and even government officials.

Medication errors are one of the most common medical errors resulting in illness and sometimes death. According to an Institute of Medicine report released in 2006, 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur in the United States each year at a cost of $3.5 billion.

In an effort to reduce medication errors, twelve states, including Florida, Michigan, and Washington, have passed Legible Prescription Laws requiring doctors to write prescriptions legibly or face fines, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. These laws require physicians to print or type prescriptions to assure they are understood by pharmacists, provide methods of verification of medication orders, and centralize prescription processing services.

To comply with these new laws, many physicians are turning to electronic prescribing software. This technology offers flexible, organized medication record keeping and dispensing. As a tool in preventing errors, prescribing software links to drug databases and the Internet, notes drug interactions and warnings, and keeps track of dosage, quantity, refills, and patient allergies. Physicians using the software can write, print, and fax prescriptions directly to pharmacies. Handy wireless systems can be configured to a personal data assistant and carried in a pocket.

Office managers can also benefit from prescription software by reducing paperwork, complying with state regulations, meeting Medicare documentation guidelines, and providing consistent documentation styles among several offices.

Some prescription software systems can analyze medication errors that have happened in the past to locate the source of errors. According to a 2003 study published in the journal Pediatrics, computer prescription ordering reduced medication errors by 95 percent.

Despite the obvious advantages of electronic prescriptions, not all physicians and practices are eager to adopt this new technology. Some doctors cite issues of privacy and confidentiality, noting that software can be hacked, and the information can be abused, sold, or used for the purposes of discrimination. To allay these fears, software makers are addressing privacy concerns and are improving security.

Another impediment may be the upfront cost of installing and transitioning to an electronic system. In response, insurance companies such as Primary Health Inc. in Boise, Idaho, and government organizations are increasingly sponsoring pilot programs to gauge the success of electronic prescription usage.

In addition, some physicians may be adverse to changing routines in their practices. But electronic medical records and prescription software are continually becoming more user friendly by offering tutorials, demonstrations, and point-and-click ease of use.

Some electronic prescription software packages are LabelRx, MedicWare, RelayHealth, Doctor Rx Writer, DrFirst, and eMedRx.