Rx News

Medical Society of the State of New York selects DrFirst as official eprescribing solution

December 15, 2014

The Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), New York State's principal nonprofit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students, and DrFirst, a leading provider of healthcare IT solutions, announced today that MSSNY has selected DrFirst as its official and recommended provider of e-prescribing software to its membership. MSSNY's decision to search for, evaluate and officially endorse an e-prescribing vendor was spurred by the New York Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing (I-STOP) legislation which mandates that all patient medications be e-prescribed beginning March 27, 2015.

The I-STOP mandate was put in place by New York State legislators to help diminish prescription drug over-use and abuse, which has risen to epidemic levels nationwide. E-prescribing software has long been proven to provide substantial benefits to doctors and their patients, and has most recently been recognized as one of the most effective ways to reduce drug diversion and 'doctor shopping,' which are leading causes of the misuse of high profile narcotics such as hydrocodone drug combinations.

Many doctors are familiar with legend drug e-prescribing, but far fewer have experience with controlled substance e-prescribing (EPCS). However, in the last three months, EPCS has grown more than 200 percent versus the same period one year ago. This striking increase is likely a result of growing general awareness of the benefits of EPCS as well as the growth in the number of pharmacies that are EPCS-enabled. But many see New York's I-STOP legislation as a leading indicator that other states will adopt similar requirements in the near future.

"With the upcoming I-STOP e-prescribing deadline, our members looked to MSSNY to help provide information about the I-STOP legislation as well as guidance on the most effective solutions for legend drug and controlled substance e-prescribing," said Andrew Kleinman, MD, president of MSSNY. "MSSNY's healthcare information technology committee conducted a thorough analysis of numerous e-prescribing solutions available in the marketplace. We identified DrFirst as delivering the most effective e-platforms in terms of clinical workflow, ease of use and cost-effectiveness."

"Today, more than 45,000 doctors and 200,000 medical professionals use our e-prescribing and e-medication management solutions to improve patient safety and enhance clinical outcomes," said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. "We are committed to helping MSSNY members comply with the coming I-STOP mandate. While it may appear a daunting proposition to some, our 15 years of experience makes us confident that all New York providers can employ affordable, effective e-prescribing solutions comfortably in advance of the March 27th deadline."

The MSSNY-endorsed software includes DrFirst's Rcopia legend drug e-prescribing and DrFirst's EPCS Gold 2.0 controlled substance e-prescribing platforms, packaged for MSSNY as a seamless, stand-alone solution. Providers using Rcopia and EPCS Gold will be able to e-prescribe legend drugs or controlled substances within a single workflow. The software will also support doctors with real-time prescription monitoring, instant access to medication histories for their patients, patient-specific formulary data, and clinical alerts such as drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction warnings. DrFirst will guide MSSNY members through the identity proofing and authentication processes that are required by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to allow a doctor to prescribe controlled substances electronically. The e-prescribing software also includes DrFirst's Patient Advisor service, which helps doctors monitor and improve patient adherence to medication therapy, and allows doctors and their staff to process and complete medication prior authorizations electronically, right within the e-prescribing workflow.

For more information, MSSNY members can visit www.drfirst.com/mssny.

About DrFirst

DrFirst pioneers technology solutions that inform the doctor-patient point of encounter, optimizing provider access to patient information, enhancing the doctor's clinical view of the patient, and improving care delivery and clinical outcomes. Our growth is driven by a commitment to innovation, security, and reliability across a wide array of services, including Medication Management, Medication Adherence, and Secure Communication and Collaboration. We are proud of our track record of service to more than 300 EMR/EHR/HIS vendors and an extensive network of providers, hospitals and patients. For more information, please visit www.drfirst.com.

About MSSNY

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society for the State of New York is the state's principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all. For more information, please visit www.mssny.org.