Electronic prescribing for controlled substances is on the rise, and New York is leading the way. According to new data from Surescripts, 27 percent of prescribers can digitally prescribe controlled substances, and 58 percent of prescribers are submitting general electronic prescriptions in the Empire State.
New York is electronically prescribing controlled substances five times more frequently than the national average of 5.8 percent, according to Surescripts.
Part of the increase may be due to a 2013 legislation requiring prescribers to consult the state's online Prescription Monitoring Program Registry when writing prescriptions for certain controlled substances.
"The rapid increase in the number of physicians prepared to e-prescribe controlled substances in New York is a testament to the power that legislation can wield in quickly closing the gap between a market need and technology readiness in this industry," said Tom Skelton, CEO of Surescripts. "However, there is clearly more work to be done to educate prescribers in New York and across the country on the importance that their adoption of e-prescribing of controlled substances plays in the fight against prescription drug abuse."
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