Project Tests E-Prescribing

The long-term care industry is part ofa pilot project to test the first standardsfor electronic prescribing (e-prescribing).These preliminary standardsmay be adopted as the final standardsthat will create an electronic transmissionsystem of prescription informationfor the Medicare Part D prescriptiondrug program.

During the pilot project, 4 granteeteams will gauge the impact of e-prescribingdata transmission systems onpatient safety and quality of care. Theproject entails testing several systems ofelectronic data transmission standardsand deciding how efficiently and effectivelymedication orders and medicationrelatedinformation can be sent andreceived by the providers and pharmaciesthat are involved in e-prescribing forMedicare Part D beneficiaries.

The $6-million project will be administeredjointly by the Centers forMedicare & Medicaid Services and theAgency for Healthcare Research andQuality. The project will continuethroughout the year.