True electronic prescribing is rapidly becoming an expected component of medical information systems. As industry interfaces with managed care and pharmacies develop, electronic data interchange (EDI) functionality will be a competitive requirement. Many physician organizations are now using CCHIT certification as a standard “seal of approval” required for EMR solutions indicating government standards have been met. DrFirst partners with EMR companies to help them quickly bring e-prescribing to market allowing the EMR partner to focus on their core competency while depending on DrFirst to provide market leading e-prescribing functionality to their users.
In 2007 the Commission included electronic prescribing as a requirement for CCHIT certification. Throughout the year, DrFirst partnered with over 20 EMR vendors allowing them to integrate the Rcopia e-prescribing solution into their EMR system. For DrFirst EMR partner, this helps reduce the developmental efforts and expense needed to develop a robust in-house electronic prescribing system. Utilizing their experience, DrFirst has been able to quickly and effectively guide their EMR partners through the rigorous SureScripts and CCHIT certification process for e-prescribing. Currently, Greenway Medical Technologies’ PrimeSuite 2007 R2, MediNotes Corporation’s MediNotes e Version 5.2, and Noteworthy Medical Systems’ Noteworthy EHR, Version 6.0 has achieved CCHIT Certified status by testing against the 2007 Ambulatory EHR criteria. HIT Services Group’s Acumen EHR 5 and Nightingale Informatix Corporation Nightingale On-Demand, Version 8.2 have received pre-market conditional CCHIT 2007 certification.*
"Time to market and our goal of CCHIT 2007 certification were key considerations in partnering with DrFirst,” said Paul Ruflin President and Chief Operating Officer of Noteworthy Medical Systems Inc. ”Noteworthy is proud to offer a fully featured, seamlessly incorporated E-Prescribing module to our customers. Integrating Rcopia allowed us to preserve the look, feel, and usability of our NetPracticeEHR product, which is the number one compliment we enjoy hearing from our users."
Integrating Rcopia into the EMR provides the EMR users with secure point-of-care EDI e-prescribing and prescription renewal functionality as well as valuable real-time health plan formulary and plan design information. Physicians also receive patient medication history in order to consider a patient’s total treatment profile when making new prescribing decisions. EMR vendors who have partnered with DrFirst are able to quickly conform to federal and state prescribing mandates including the 2009 CMS ruling revoking the fax exemption for prescriptions for Medicare Part-D patients.
"CCHIT Certification helps to set the standard by which EHR vendors are judged by prospective customers," said Justin Barnes, vice president of marketing and government affairs at Greenway. "As PrimeSuite 2007 R2 was the first 2007 Ambulatory CCHIT Certified EHR, we not only see the benefit but take great strides to make sure that our solution always meets the latest criteria set by CCHIT."
“We are excited to have received full 2007 CCHIT certification and we believe that partnering with DrFirst enables us to provide even greater service to our EMR clients,” said Donald G. Schoen, CEO and President of MediNotes.
DrFirst’s longstanding relationships with such companies as SureScripts, RxHub, FirstDataBank and many others insures that EMR partners have access to the most reliable and up-to-date information and services.
“We are very pleased to be able to help our EMR partners achieve CCHIT certification in 2007 and look forward to assisting all of our partners achieve certification in 2008,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirs