e-Prescribing and Surescripts Statistics

The Surescripts National Progress Report on e-Prescribing Year 2011 has shown significant growth and adaptation in recent years.

The following information comes from the Surescripts National Progress Report Year 2011. For the complete report from Surescripts, click here to download The National Progress Report on E-Prescribing Year 2011.

REMINDER: June 30th, 2012 is the deadline to avoid the 2013 eRX penalty. Eligible providers need to report the eRX G-Code G8553 on Medicare claims, at least 10 times for applicable Medicare office visits or services for the Jan. 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012 reporting period.  For more information visit:  www.cms.gov/eRxIncentive

Impressive Statistics on Prescribers, Pharmacies, and e-Prescribing

• In 2011, 58% of office based physicians are actively using e-Prescribing compared to just 36% in 2010. This totals 390,000 prescribers in 2011 compared to only 234,000 in 2010.
• Additionally in 2011, more than 570 million prescriptions were e-prescribed, a 75% increase from 2010.
• As of today, over 56,900 pharmacies are now available through Surescripts, which represents 91% of community pharmacies in the United States.
• In 2011, 82% of prescribers use an EHR to e-prescribe while the remaining 18% use a stand-alone e-prescribing software.

Medication History and Prescription Benefits through Payors

The accessibility of medical history and benefit information allows providers to deliver more efficient care to their patients. As the use of patient medical history and benefit information increases, patient safety and compliance with drug formulary will progress within each state and on a national level.

• More than 66% of patients in the United States were provided access to prescription benefit and medication history information in 2011.
• In Alabama, 51% -60% of patients have their prescription benefit and medication history information available through the payor.

e-Prescribing and Meaningful Use

More than 40% of an eligible provider’s prescriptions must be electronically prescribed in order to meet one of the core objections for Stage 1 of Meaningful Use. By December 2011, approximately 21,392 to 23,877 prescribers met the more than 40% stage 1 meaningful use program measure. This is a significant increase from the approximately 8,129 who met the measure in 2008 which proves that prescribers are sending more and more prescriptions electronically.

• The data collected by Surescripts suggests that about 54% to 60% of early adapters are on track to meet the stage 1 meaningful use e-prescribing measure and 38% of this group would currently meet the stage 2 meaningful use e-prescribing measure.