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EmailPosted on September 18, 2018 by Poonam Khanna
Email, auto-fax and e-prescribing — one of these methods of prescribing is not like the other. While on the surface, emailed and auto-faxed prescriptions may look the same as e-prescribing, there's a big difference between them when it comes to patient safety.
Emailed and auto-faxed prescriptions are transmitted to pharmacies as images that, like handwritten prescriptions, must then be transcribed into a pharmacy management system (PMS). This is a point at which errors, unfortunately, can be introduced due to data entry mistakes. With e-prescribing solutions like PrescribeIT™, Canada’s only national, not-for-profit service, pharmacies do not have to enter prescriptions manually into their system. Instead, prescriptions are transmitted as data directly from a prescriber’s electronic medical record (EMR) to a pharmacy’s PMS without the need for data entry, improving patient safety.
And this isn’t the only benefit. e-Prescribing also reduces the potential for fraud and misuse of prescriptions by eliminating the ability for prescriptions to be revised or copied.
Finally, faxed prescriptions, like paper prescriptions, can also easily go astray if an incorrect fax number is entered, or if the receiving fax is out of paper or offline.
Evolution of prescribing
Handwritten Prescriptions
Printed/Faxed/Emailed Prescriptions
e-Prescribing
e-Prescribing is the secure electronic creation and transmission of a prescription between an authorized prescriber and a patient's pharmacy of choice, using clinical Point of Service (POS) solution, in a manner which integrates clinical workflow and software.
e-Prescribing Enhnaced Capabilities
What are your thoughts about the benefits of e-prescribing vs. auto-faxed and emailed prescriptions?
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Poonam is passionate about communicating the benefits of digital health to Canadians and leads the digital marketing and social media team at Canada Health Infoway.
