Key things you need to know about electronic prescribing 6
Further evaluation of the UK’s electronic transmission of prescription pilots is needed before a common model and national operating standards for ePrescribing in the UK can be fully defined 7
Voluntary adoption of electronic prescribing continues to be a barrier to widespread implementation of electronic prescribing technologies among physicians in the US. Failure to mandate nationwide adoption of a common ePrescribing platform creates inconsistencies among technologies in use, and provides little incentive for physicians to invest in the process changes necessary to achieve adoption in the near future 7
Rather than focus on reaching physicians at-the-point of care through ePrescribing platforms, pharmaceutical companies should invest in marketing strategies that optimize consumer choice and highlight the safety and efficacy of their drugs 9
Introduction 10
The traditional prescribing model and its limitations 12
The number of mistakes made in the paper-based prescribing process is too high 14
The paper-based prescribing process is too slow 17
The paper-based prescribing process is too complex 19
The evolution of ePrescribing solutions 26
Benefits of adopting electronic prescribing technologies 27
Challenges to the adoption of electronic prescribing technologies 28
Driving the adoption of ePrescribing in the US and European markets 30
Early adopters of electronic prescribing – lessons learned from the UK pilots 33
Electronic prescribing in the rest of Europe 39
Adopting electronic prescribing in a privatized healthcare system– challenges in the US market 40
Stakeholders in the adoption of electronic prescribing 45
Beyond improving patient safety, stakeholders are primarily concerned with either reducing the cost or increasing the speed of the current prescribing process 45
The impact of electronic prescribing technology on the pharmaceutical industry 47
THE FUTURE DECODED 49
Outlook for the electronic prescribing market 49
Current use of electronic prescribing technologies 49
End-user impact on electronic prescribing adoption 51
Opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to play a role in the adoption of electronic prescribing in the US and Europe 53
Barriers to using ePrescribing technologies as a marketing tool 53
Partnering with electronic prescribing technology vendors 54
