Date is set for MA Blues' doctors to start e-prescribing

Doctors participating in the physician incentives program from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts are soon going to have to start e-prescribing to stay in the program. The official date that physicians will have to start e-prescribing to keep getting incentives is January 1, 2011. To help ease the transition, doctors will receive financial assistance and training in using the new devices in the first year after adoption.

The Massachusetts Blues are requiring this because e-prescribing has helped avoid adverse drug interactions, and also helped to save members $800,000 in 2006 by identifying less expensive drug treatment choices, the plan said.

While the physicians will be able to e-prescribe virtually all of their drugs, they're still stuck with paper when it comes to controlled substances---something of a problem, given that few practices want two separate prescribing processes in place. Doctors and insurance companies across the U.S. are still waiting for the DEA to finalize a rule [1] that would allow e-prescribing of this class of medications.

To learn more about these e-prescribing requirements:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece [2] (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
HHS supports both standard approaches for e-prescribing [3]
NH governor backs e-prescribing [4]
Study: E-prescribing boosts safety, quality [5]
MN lawmakers approve e-prescribing measure [6]