ROCKVILLE, MD, March 14, 2003 – DrFirst, a leader in e-prescribing handheld solutions, today announced it is collaborating with Kaiser Permanente on a pilot program to improve patient safety and prescribing accuracy. Participating physicians with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group PC (MAPMG) will be able to use Rcopia, DrFirst’s e-prescribing solution available on desktop PCs and handheld devices.
MAPMG’s physicians will have access to Rcopia’s prescribing functions including drug-to-drug and drug-to-allergy interaction checking, the provider’s schedule and Kaiser Permanente’s formulary and drug reference information on both handheld devices and the Internet. The first installation of Rcopia is at the Kaiser Permanente medical center in Woodbridge, Virginia.
“At Kaiser Permanente patient safety is a key priority. Our goal is to use PDA technology to improve prescribing accuracy, reduce unnecessary calls between doctors and pharmacists clarifying prescription orders, and make the process safer and more convenient for patients,” said Carol Forster, MD, Executive Director of pharmacy management for Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States.
Rcopia’s robust features include the automatic medication and allergy interaction checking and ability to send legible prescriptions electronically to pharmacies.
“We welcome the opportunity to provide our solution to one of the leading providers of patient care in the country,” said James F. Chen, Chief Executive Officer of DrFirst. “We are extremely pleased that Kaiser Permanente has joined forces with DrFirst to provide physicians and patients alike with a sophisticated, powerful alternative to the traditional prescription process,” Mr. Chen added.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading integrated health care organization. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group-practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of more than 8.3 million members in 10 states and the District of Columbia. Today, it encompasses Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes about 85,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and about 9,000 physicians representing all specialties. Kaiser Permanente has already demonstrated leadership in e-health care with two award-winning websites; http://www.kaiserpermanente.org and http://www.kponline.org.
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. serves 525,000 members in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The health care organization is comprised of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States and the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG), which features more than 950 physicians in 29 medical facilities who provide or arrange care for patients in the region.
About DrFirst
Utilizing the latest advancements in Internet, security, wireless, and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) technology, DrFirst provides a suite of integrated, affordable, intuitive, and easily implemented products and services to the healthcare community. These comprehensive solutions solve critical communication, business productivity, and clinical needs of physicians, clinics, hospitals, and health systems. DrFirst delivers its products on both an Application Service Provider (ASP) and Distributive Solutions Provider (DSP) basis to provide the maximum flexibility to fulfill the diverse needs of healthcare providers. The backbone of DrFirst’s products and services is its Secure Messaging Exchange (SMX) network, which permits secure messaging and transfer of information between users. Through this platform, DrFirst offers a practice management solution that includes automated billing, electronic claims submission and scheduling; a state-of-the-art electronic medical records application; and a complementary suite of integrated products that includes fully integrated web and PDA-based electronic prescription writing, charge capture, and secure e-mail. DrFirst also provides the industries best secure messaging platform for physicians, hospitals and EMR/EHR vendors.