As we posted before, Michigan ranks second in the nation for electronic prescribing, with 1 in 5 prescriptions transmitted electronically, and doubling the numbers every year since 2007.

Now, we love Michigan, but the general feeling we get from the national press is that the state is circling the drain — losing jobs, college graduates and, therefore, innovation, by the minute. With this dire reputation, how did Michigan, of all states, get to be second in the United States for e-prescribing?

An editorial this week in the Detroit Free Press seems to provide the answer:

The initiative to launch e-prescribing began in 2004 when executives at General Motors began looking for ways to cut the company’s health care bills. It was a time when medical insurance was the single most expensive item in the cost of manufacturing a car. GM reached across corporate lines to involve Ford and Chrysler, and the search for a way to cut prescription costs while improving the quality of care for Michigan residents began.

The commentary, written by Harry Totonis, president and CEO of Surescripts, and Dr. Mark A. Kelley, CEO of the Henry Ford Medical Group, outlines the general history of e-prescribing in the state, and some of the benefits to doctors and patients alike.

For example, they estimate that doctors using e-prescribing save 4 minutes per prescription written, largely by eliminating the back-and-forth clarification dance with pharmacies. Given that the average patient visit is approximately 15 minutes, saving almost 25% of the allotted time is significant. Doctors who use the time saved to see more patients or to spend additional time with the same number of patients are sure to see better treatment outcomes.

Another benefit to patients is time saved at the pharmacy. The article points out:

Patients no longer have to find out when they arrive at the pharmacy counter that what the doctor prescribed isn’t covered by his or her plan or carries a co-pay the patient cannot afford. The inconvenience, extra cost and medical risk of patients leaving the pharmacy without their medications can all be avoided by simply sharing this information with physicians before the e-prescription is sent.

And, may we add, gloEMR and gloPM can integrate all relevant insurance information into the patient record, so this cross-checking of co-pay and coverage can be done automatically. For more information, contact us about seeing a demonstration.