ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Two of Maryland’s most innovative healthcare organizations have joined forces to give Maryland prescribers a mobile tool to efficiently access Maryland’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data from within the e-prescribing workflow. MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, has teamed with DrFirst, a Maryland-based leader in e-prescribing and medication management solutions to bring iPrescribeSM to prescribers using the PDMP data displayed to healthcare providers by Maryland’s state-designated health information exchange, CRISP who operates the state’s PDMP. iPrescribe is the first mobile medication management app that allows physicians to comply with the Maryland mandate to consult the PDMP. MedChi and DrFirst are making iPrescribe available to Maryland prescribers free for the first year.
Maryland prescribers will be required to query and review the PDMP database prior to initially prescribing an opioid or benzodiazepine for a patient starting July 1, 2018. Previously, PDMP access for many prescribers involved leaving the clinical workflow in order to view the patient’s history of opioid and other controlled drug prescriptions within CRISP, adding time and complexity to an already complex process. The collaboration with MedChi, DrFirst, and CRISP streamlines the PDMP query process by making it available in the e-prescribing workflow through the iPrescribe mobile app.
“Through our relationship with CRISP and the PDMP integration with DrFirst’s iPrescribe, we give Maryland prescribers the ability to more easily and efficiently comply with the PDMP query mandate. The improved access to patient data empowers physicians to make fully informed prescribing decisions, providing appropriate pain medication to patients who need it, and identify patients who are at risk for opioid addiction,” said Gene Ransom, MedChi’s chief executive officer. “Our goal is to put this tool in the hands of every prescriber in Maryland.”
“As a Maryland-based organization, we are excited to support technological solutions that put tools in the hands of the provider community that can help combat the opioid crisis in our state,” said Brandon Neiswender, VP and COO at CRISP. “We can provide authorized users easier access to patient data to better inform clinical decisions and address patient safety and opioid overuse concerns.”
“With opioid deaths in Maryland continuing to mount, it is critical that prescribers have easy access to patient information. With iPrescribe, we are arming them with a powerful mobile tool that, for the first time, gives them a comprehensive view of their patient’s medication history, including PDMP data from CRISP, in their e-prescribing workflow,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst.
In addition to e-prescribing and PDMP access, the iPrescribe app delivers powerful medication management including up to 24 months of a patient’s medication history; actual patient cost for prescribed medications from local pharmacies and discount card access to the uninsured; and securely chat with extended care teams and patients in a HIPAA-compliant manner. Prescriptions automatically update to the patient’s medication history to ensure consistent patient records across any EMR. Integrations are available with most leading EMR and hospital information systems.
The iPrescribe app is currently available and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. For more information, visit https://www.iprescribe.com/.
About MedChi
MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, is a non-profit membership association of Maryland physicians. It is the largest physician organization in Maryland. The mission of MedChi is to serve as Maryland’s foremost advocate and resource for physicians, their patients and the public health of Maryland. For more information, please visit www.medchi.org
About DrFirst
DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of ePrescribing and medication management solutions, enables stakeholders across the healthcare industry to intelligently utilize comprehensive real-time data and connectivity to increase their patient safety ratings, efficiency and profitability. Today, over 170,000 healthcare professionals and over 60% of Electronic Health Record vendors, depend on DrFirst’s innovative software solutions to improve clinical workflows, expedite secure collaboration across a patient’s care team and drive better health outcomes. The company’s integrated technologies include its award-winning electronic prescribing platform, the most comprehensive medication history available, clinically specialized secure messaging, as well as patient medication adherence monitoring and benefits checking. In addition, DrFirst was the first to offer e-prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS), and is considered the industry standard for providers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.drfirst.com or connect with us @DrFirst.
MedChi Media Contact:
Gene M. Ransom, CEO
Office: 410-539-0872 x 3305
DrFirst Media Contact:
Jenna Warner
Amendola Communications
480-664-8412 x 19
JWarner@ACMarketingPR.com