E-prescribing is a relatively new technology that lets a doctor send a patient’s prescription from the doctor’s office to the pharmacy directly. The service allows a doctor to send out readable prescriptions that do not have to be interpreted by the doctor. A person with Medicare prescription drug coverage, generally known as Medicare Part D may wonder if the new system is compliant with the rules for Medicare. Not only are these services compliant with the government-funded health care systems, they are encouraged. The electronic services cut down on errors and paperwork, although the initial implementation faced some problems with standardization.
Whether a person has Medicare Part D or not, it is unlikely the standardization problems will affect the delivery or accuracy of his prescriptions today. Two years after the Medicare Modernization act passed, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services put forth the first set of standards. The new standards, which were approved on November 7, 2005 were put into place by January 1, 2006. The laws went through several improvements until the e-prescribing rule came into its current form on April 7, 2008.
Many people feel, rightly or wrongly, that computers are complicated devices. This is not as true as it once was, but not everyone feels comfortable using them for every purpose. A patient who wants to go to the pharmacy directly and not worry about using the slip of paper does not need to enter his prescription which will get covered under Medicare Part D. His doctor’s office or health care provider will do it for him. He can go directly from his appointment and pick up the medications he need at the drug store without too much waiting.