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March 14, 2006
ePrescribing Is Just The Medicine
A year after an innovative electronic technology, e-Prescribing, was launched, more than 500,000 prescriptions have been filled by Henry Ford Medical Group. Their physicians now write more than 20,000 electronic prescriptions weekly.
The technology benefits patients who avoid potential complications due to drug interactions and saves money by using generics instead of brand name medications. As a result:
* More than 80,000 prescriptions were changed or cancelled due to drug- to-drug interaction alerts. e-Prescribing messages alerted doctors to 6,500 potential allergic reactions.
* More than 50,000 prescriptions were changed or cancelled due to formulary alerts, which increased the use of generic drugs.
* e-Prescribing has helped Henry Ford Medical Group improve its overall generic use rate by 7.3 percent, which will save $3.1 million in pharmacy costs over a one-year period.
"In virtually every way health care quality and costs can be measured, the benefits of e-prescribing are compelling," said Francine Parker, HAP president and CEO. "e-Prescribing creates a seamless electronic path from the doctor, to the pharmacist, to the patient. We at HAP are proud to be involved as a catalyst and pacesetter in a collaborative program that already is proving its worth to members and patients, providers and employers."
In February 2005 Health Alliance Plan (HAP) and the Henry Ford Medical Group piloted a major electronic prescribing initiative at the request of the Big Three automakers - General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler, to cut prescription costs and improve quality. The 60- physician pilot was so successful, e-Prescribing quickly became a Henry Ford Health System-wide initiative, now engaging 300 primary care physicians in 24 Henry Ford medical centers. All medical specialists at Henry Ford will be using e-Prescribing by the end of the year.
Physicians find e-Prescribing easy to use. Doctors use a personal computer or wireless device such as a Pocket PC to order or refill prescriptions and then transmit them over the Internet to retail and mail-order pharmacies. HAP and Henry Ford provide training and ongoing support to office personnel, and HAP provides the funding support and project management for the program.
The adoption of e-Prescribing among physicians in the HFHS/HAP system is part of the Southeast Michigan e-Prescribing Initiative (SEMI), a collaboration between the Big Three Automakers, Michigan health plans, and Medco Health Solutions, Inc. Medco, the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) for the partners in the collaboration, uses its experience with e-Prescribing technology to coordinate the implementation of the SEMI initiative and increase the adoption of e-Prescribing. The automakers will use the success of the HAP-Henry Ford project to jump- start e-Prescribing throughout the state.
"General Motors commends Henry Ford Medical Group and HAP for achieving this significant milestone. The organization and its physicians have demonstrated thoughtful leadership in the area of electronic prescribing," said Marsha Manning, manager of Community Health Initiatives at GM. "We must all work together - businesses, the health care industry and consumers - to find solutions to controlling health care costs. This is a real life example of a collaboration that's contributing to higher quality and a more cost effective delivery system right here in southeast Michigan."
"We at Henry Ford want to provide the most cost-effective and safest care for our patients," says Mark Kelley, M.D., executive vice president at Henry Ford and chief executive officer of the Henry Ford Medical Group. "With this electronic system, we can instantly review the patients' medication history and allergies. When we prescribe medications, the system can warn us of any adverse reactions and also recommend less expensive alternatives. This 'smart system' saves time for the doctor and patient, prevents complications, and saves money for the patient."
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