Expect Continued Growth in e-Prescribing

Twenty-three percent of office-based physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants now use electronic prescribing software, according to Surescripts. That equates to 140,000 of a total of 610,000 office-based prescribing clinicians. At the current pace, Surescripts estimates its total number of active prescribers in 2009 will more than double the 74,000 it had at the end of last year.

The company also notes that prescribers now can choose from more than 200 types of e-prescribing and electronic health records software certified and connected to the Surescripts network. The network links to 84% of retail pharmacies and six large mail order pharmacies.