Surescripts: More than half of prescriptions are electronic

More than half of all eligible prescriptions were routed electronically, according to a report from the nationwide health information network Surescripts.

In 2013, Surescripts transmitted more than one billion electronic prescriptions, representing 58 percent of all eligible prescriptions, which were sent by 73 percent of all office-based physicians, according to its 2013 National Progress Report and Safe-Rx Rankings.

In all, the network connects to 566,000 prescribers, more than 400 hospitals and health systems, more than 40 of the nation’s leading pharmacy benefit managers, more than 600 EHR applications, 43 state immunization registries and 21 health information exchanges and health information service providers.

Other findings in the report:

• The total volume of electronic prescriptions increased 44 percent, up from 788 million in 2012 and 570 million in 2011.
• Nearly 700 million electronic medication history records were delivered in 2013, representing a 19 percent increase over 2012.
• The adoption of electronic prescribing (eRx) by independent pharmacies increased 11 percent between 2011 and 2013, while adoption among chain pharmacies remained constant at 98 percent.
• As of 2013, 40 percent of pharmacies have achieved Surescripts certification to enable the eRx of controlled substances.

Also, Surescripts reported that the state of Delaware led its Safe-Rx Rankings, with 81 percent of physicians routing a total of 3.8 million electronic prescriptions.