AdvancePCS' iScribe Adds National Retail Network to Electronic Prescribing Capabilities; Partners with Major Health Plans to Improve Patient Safety, Reduce Costs.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 2004 AdvancePCS (Nasdaq: ADVP), the nation's leading health improvement company, is partnering with an increasing number of major health plan clients to introduce a nationally available electronic prescribing program designed to improve patient safety, enhance physician productivity and reduce costs. The AdvancePCS iScribe program enables participating physicians to use their personal digital assistants (PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). ) or desktop computers to electronically transmit new prescriptions and renewal authorizations directly to a national e-prescribing network that includes three of the four largest pharmacy pharmacy, art of compounding and dispensing drugs and medication. The term is also applied to an establishment used for such purposes. Until modern times medication was prepared and dispensed by the physician himself. In the 18th cent. chains, regional pharmacy chains, mass merchants, supermarkets and independent pharmacies An independent pharmacy is a retail pharmacy that is not directly affiliated with any chain pharmacy, such as CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens or Eckerd. However, owners of independent pharmacies will often form alliances with other independents and use their power in numbers to bargain for . Physicians also can send electronic prescriptions to AdvancePCS' home delivery pharmacy or, if requested, print out a prescription to be handed to the patient. The iScribe program is one element of AdvancePCS' suite of online services that works together to improve health and reduce costs -- ranging from physician connectivity tools that streamline the prescribing process to health plan member resources that link physicians, patients and health plan administrators to pharmacy benefit information. "AdvancePCS is partnering with some of the nation's leading health plans to introduce our iScribe application, which has seen more than 2 million prescriptions generated since we acquired the technology," said Joe Aita, M.D., AdvancePCS senior vice president and chief medical officer. "Health plans are seeking a comprehensive, end-to-end solution (jargon) end-to-end solution - (E2ES) A term that suggests that the supplier of an application program or system will provide all the hardware and/or software components and resouces to meet the customer's requirement and no other supplier need be involved. Compare: turn-key solution. that also enables individuals to take a more active role in their health care -- and physician connectivity is bringing new possibilities to help them achieve that goal. Our innovations in this field are promoting increased safety, better health outcomes, greater efficiency and lower drug costs." Improved patient safety is a key contributor to increasing interest in the technology, especially in avoiding adverse drug interactions. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Institute of Medicine, adverse drug events are the fourth leading cause of death and result in as much as $136 billion in additional costs annually. In addition, a recent Centers for Disease Control study showed that improper
With an eye toward improving patient safety, as well as enhanced plan performance and increased member satisfaction, such clients as Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, is the only licensed Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association plan in New Jersey, providing health insurance coverage to over 3.2 million people throughout all of North, Central, and South Jersey. , BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina South Carolina, state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW). Facts and Figures Area, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. and OSF See Open Group. OSF - Open Software Foundation HealthPlans in Illinois have joined with AdvancePCS to introduce physician connectivity programs within their networks. The number of registered physicians is growing rapidly, and they already are viewing formulary formulary /for·mu·lary/ (for´mu-lar?e) a collection of recipes, formulas, and prescriptions. National Formulary see under N. for·mu·lar·y n. and Performance Drug List alternatives several thousand times per month via the Web or PDA. Health plan clients can leverage AdvancePCS' iScribe connectivity offerings with their network physicians. For example: -- Online medication histories for AdvancePCS patients help prescribers enhance patient safety and prevent costly medical errors. -- Universal Formulary Reference for both the Web and PDAs allows physicians to access formularies for all patients in their practice, not just AdvancePCS patients. -- Online prescription renewals enable physicians to review and approve renewal requests from AdvancePCS home delivery and retail pharmacies This article is a list of major pharmacies (also known as chemists and drugstores) by country. Australia Pharmacies in Australia are mostly independently-owned by pharmacists, often operated as franchises of retail brands offered by the three major . -- Physicians can access patient care resources, including a comprehensive medical reference library and patient materials that can be printed and distributed. In addition to its safety and clinical information features, AdvancePCS' service saves physicians time by reducing the number of pharmacy callbacks and faxes. This enhances office efficiency while increasing the satisfaction of patients, who benefit from less wait time at the pharmacy and potential savings due to formulary-compliant prescribing. The system is fully compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website, Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when of 1996, which governs the management and use of confidential patient information. About AdvancePCS AdvancePCS (www.advancepcs.com) is the nation's leading provider of health improvement services. AdvancePCS offers health plans a wide range of health improvement products and services designed to improve the quality of care delivered to health plan members and manage costs. The company's capabilities include integrated mail service and retail pharmacy networks, innovative clinical services, customized disease management programs, specialty pharmacy, outcomes research, information management, prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, services for the uninsured and online health information for consumers. AdvancePCS clients include Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Shield A US not-for-profit health care insurer that is a reimbursement intermediary for physicians. Cf Blue Cross. organizations, insurance companies and HMOs, Fortune 500 employers, Taft-Hartley groups, third-party administrators, state and local governments, and other health plan sponsors. AdvancePCS is ranked by Fortune magazine as one of America's 100 fastest-growing public companies and is included on the Forbes Platinum 400 list of best big companies. AdvancePCS earned the No. 3 spot on the Barron's 500 list of best performing companies. |
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