PrescribeIT Benefits

Prescribers and pharmacists work together to ensure patients get the medications they need. But almost 30 per cent of prescriptions are never filled.

Not only can medication non-adherence lead to adverse events, it increases costs to the health care system. According to a World Health Organization report, medication non-adherence accounts for five per cent of Canadian hospital admissions and five per cent of physician visits, resulting in an additional $4 billion in health care costs annually.

Returning to the doctor’s office for a refill or replacement is also costly — to the tune of $35 million in lost productivity, travel and other costs. Among physicians and pharmacy staff using PrescribeIT^®, 82 per cent have stated that the service reduces lost or misplaced prescriptions, reducing the need for those return trips.

But medication compliance isn’t the only challenge. 84 per cent of physicians and 95 per cent of pharmacy staff have stated that PrescribeIT^® reduces stolen or fraudulent prescriptions. 

PrescribeIT^® also protects patient safety by enabling clinicians to prescribe and dispense with confidence — 88 per cent of pharmacy staff state that PrescribeIT^® improves confidence in authenticating opioid/controlled substance prescriptions. According to a 2018 study, 78 per cent of Canadians are open to adopting mandatory e-prescribing of controlled substances.

Enhanced workflow efficiency, communication and confidence in dispensing benefit prescribers, pharmacists and patients — and the health care system as a whole.

Prescribers

• Improved communication with pharmacists through clinical communications using your EMR — no more fax machines
• Seamless integration into your existing electronic medical record (EMR)
• More time for patient care due to improved workflow and reduced paperwork
• Health care analytics improve understanding of prescribing in Canada, delivering better health outcomes for all Canadians
• Decreased administrative load

Pharmacists

• More time for patient consultations due to more efficient dispensing
• Fewer dispensing and transcription errors
• Improved communication with prescribers through clinical communications using your pharmacy management system (PMS)
• Decreased administrative load

Patients

• Improved medication adherence
• Fewer lost/damaged prescriptions
• Decreased risk of privacy breaches due to fax transmission issues or unsecured email
• Improved patient safety

Health Care System

• Less fraud and potential for abuse
• Reduction of inappropriately filled prescriptions for narcotics
• Improved medication cost management

Further Benefits:

PrescribeIT^® is the only national, not-for-profit e-prescribing service that enhances medication safety and protects patient privacy.

• Integrates with jurisdictional assets such as drug information systems (DIS)*, drug formularies and registries
• Was developed with input from community prescribers, pharmacies, provincial and territorial governments and regulators
• Is committed to protecting an influence-free dispensing and prescribing environment
• Safeguards prescription data from commercial use
• Was developed using non-repayable funding grants from Health Canada to offset the setup costs of the service

*in jurisdictions where it is available.