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| − | Introduction:
| + | #REDIRECT [[E-prescribing]] |
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| − | Medical errors are one of the leading causes of death in the United States today. A study in 1997 by the Institute of Medicine shows that at least 44,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical errors and the number may be as high as 98,000 1. The problem of reducing medical errors is multi-faceted and there is no single answer that will solve this problem. Instead, this large and complex problem requires thoughtful integration of different solutions. Electronic prescription is one step in that direction. Electronic prescription is the transmission of prescriptions electronically from the physician to the patient or pharmacy.
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| − | There are different levels at which an electronic prescription system can be implemented. The higher the level of sophistication, the greater the benefits as there is more linkage of relevant patient information. However, the cost of implementation also increases with the level.
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| − | • Level 1: This is an elementary system consisting of a reference handbook containing drug information, dosing calculators and formulary information. The information is available only if the physician explicitly looks for the information.
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| − | • Level 2: Allows searching for a drug name and gives generally used dosage details.
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| − | • Level 3: Patient unique data such as allergy, and formulary information can be stored. So the physician can prescribe drugs according to the specific needs of the patient. The system also provides alerts for drug allergies.
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| − | • Level 4: Medication history for the patient is maintained which enables alerts for drug to drug interaction. It also provides reminders for renewal.
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| − | • Level 5: Linkage between the physician’s office and pharmacy. Physician can transmit the prescription to the location of the pharmacy specified by the patient.
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| − | • Level 6: Integrated with an electronic medical record, which enables disease management and access to lab tests, problem list and diagnosis.
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