Some doctors to get digital prescription data

February 13, 2006

Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:32 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the first time, doctors in some U.S.

states will be able to view a comprehensive electronic history of a

patient's medication use, pharmacy officials announced on Monday as

part of an effort to move the nation to digital health records.

With a patient's permission, a physician will have online access to

all the medicines he or she has been prescribed, dosages and whether

prescriptions are being filled and refilled.

The information will be supplied to doctors from pharmacies via the

SureScripts network, founded in 2001 by two pharmacy industry

associations.

SureScripts plans to launch the new service starting April 1 in Rhode

Island, Massachusetts, Nevada, Tennessee, New Jersey and Florida, and

to have it running in at least 10 states by year end. It will be free

for doctors and pharmacies.

SureScripts is a joint venture of the National Association of Chain

Drug Stores, which includes members like Walgreen Co. and CVS Corp.,

and the National Community Pharmacists Association, representing

independent drug stores.

Knowing all the medicines a patient takes is important for avoiding

potentially dangerous drug interactions. Patients often do not know

the drug names or dosages, especially if they are taking half a dozen

prescription drugs or more.

" In many instances, patients take in all their medications and simply

hand them to (the doctor). You won't have to do that " under the new

system, said Hutchinson, chief executive of SureScripts.

Patients will have access to their own information, probably starting

this summer after steps to ensure privacy and security are completed,

Hutchinson said.

The announcement is the latest step toward digital health records,

which are promoted as a way to reduce costs and improve care.

President W. Bush has set a goal of having fully electronic

medical records for most Americans by 2014.

type=healthNews & storyID=2006-02-14T003236Z_01_N13290984_RTRUKOC_0_US-

PRESCRIPTIONS.xml

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