Connecting Communities Collaboration for Medication Management
Best Practices
The Steering Group arrived at the following principles which represent consensus among diverse stakeholders. These principles should help guide ethical, technical, policy, and financial developments in this field, and stakeholders are encouraged to utilize them as they develop their strategic and tactical initiatives around electronic prescribing.
Principle 1:
We believe widespread adoption of e-prescribing can provide many benefits, including:
- Improving medication safety;
- Enhancing practice efficiency;
- Generating cost savings;
- Facilitating more effective medication management;
- Increasing patient adherence;
- Improving the integrity of the prescribing process.
Principle 2:
All healthcare stakeholders* should collaborate to encourage widespread adoption and optimal use of standards-based e-prescribing through:
- Appropriately aligned incentives to support effective use of the technology;
- Collaborative development and delivery of innovative programs, education resources, training and support;
- Efficiencies in workflow for the physician and pharmacist;
- Connectivity to facilitate medication reconciliation, formulary and medication history information, and transmission;
Principle 3:
E-prescribing system design and/or the implementation of e-prescribing should:
- Enhance the patient-clinician relationship by providing more comprehensive clinical information at the point of care;
- Preserve the patient's choice of pharmacy;
- Facilitate the clinician's informed choice of medication.
- Be part of an integrated plan toward full implementation of an electronic health record
Principle 4:
Both electronic medical records (EMRs) and stand-alone e-prescribing may be utilized to realize the functionality and benefits of e-prescribing. Overall quality of care can be enhanced by implementation of e-prescribing that is integrated within an EHR.
Principle 5:
Consumer organizations, providers, pharmacists, payers and educators should help patients understand and experience the benefits of e-prescribing. Informed patients will play an important role in encouraging providers and pharmacists to use e-prescribing.
*Healthcare Stakeholders include patients, caregivers, providers, pharmacists, consumer groups, vendors, payers, regulators, educators, and researchers.
