As the healthcare industry seeks ways to address the growing opioid epidemic, states are turning to electronic prescriptions and prescription drug monitoring programs to keep better track of prescriptions for controlled substances. In 2015, health information network Surescripts facilitated 12.8 million electronic prescriptions of controlled substances, a 667 percent increase from the previous year.
Nationwide, about 6 percent of controlled substances are prescribed electronically, 5.7 percent of prescribers are able to electronically submit prescriptions for controlled substances and 80.6 percent of pharmacies can receive such prescriptions, according to Surescripts' 2015 National Progress Report.
However, a state-by-state breakdown reveals significant variation in states enabled for EPCS. States range from less than 1 percent of controlled substances being prescribed electronically to close to 38 percent, according to the report.
Surescripts ranked the top and bottom 10 states for EPCS, factoring in percentage of pharmacies and prescribers enabled to electronically prescribe controlled substances as well as the percentage of such prescriptions that are electronically submitted.
Top 10
1. New York
2. Nebraska
3. Rhode Island
4. Michigan
5. Oregon
6. Delaware
7. Texas
8. California
9. Massachusetts
10. Wisconsin
Bottom 10
1. Hawaii
2. Mississippi
3. Arkansas
4. North Dakota
5. Alabama
6. Montana
7. Kentucky
8. Florida
9. West Virginia
10. Georgia
More articles on EPCS:
25 things to know about e-prescribing
How e-prescribing could be the main tool in fighting opioid abuse
How opioid prescription laws are challenging EHR vendors