FROM THE FOUNDATION

Money in the Bank

The Medi-Cal EHR incentive program could provide up to $2 billion in federal incentives to eligible California providers and result in more state revenues and thousands of jobs.

The Good and Bad of High-Deductible Health Plans

Health Affairs looks at the pros and cons of consumers paying more of their medical costs. As HDHPs grow in popularity, billions of dollars may be saved, but prevention might decline.

Career Opportunity: Senior Program Officer

This position will play a major role in furthering the goals and objectives of the foundation's Better Chronic Disease Care program.

Health IT

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Report: More California Doctors Are Submitting Electronic Prescriptions

The percentage of California physicians who electronically prescribe medications has increased steadily over the last few years, according to a report from Cal eConnect, the agency that oversees health information exchange in California, Healthcare IT News reports.

Key Findings

The report found that about 25% of California's physicians currently e-prescribe, up from 3% in 2007.

However, the report notes that only about 16% of eligible prescriptions are sent electronically, even though most California pharmacies are set up to receive e-prescriptions (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 2/8).

Some Counties Lagging in Pharmacy Adoption

The report also identified regional differences in e-prescribing capabilities among California counties' pharmacies.

According to the report, Alpine County is the only California county without access to at least one pharmacy capable of accepting e-prescriptions. In the remaining California counties, 70% or more of pharmacies can accept e-prescriptions.

When looking specifically at independent pharmacies, the report found that four California counties do not have at least one independent pharmacy capable of accepting e-prescriptions. The four counties are:



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