CalPERS tests e-prescribing

The California Public Employees' Retirement System provides benefits to more than 1.6 million employees, retirees and dependents, and manages more than $656 million in assets. So when it announced this week that it would back an e-prescribing pilot, it was something of a landmark, as CalPERS tends to set the tone for pension funds nationwide.

CalPERS announced this week that it was partnering with Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California and Medco Health Solutions to pilot-test a program helping providers adopt e-prescribing technology.

To get started, the partners will collect doctors' input on best practices for e-prescribing use. Once the pilot is under way, researchers will track drug and formulary prescription rates, e-prescribing usage and the rate of preventable adverse drug reactions. The ultimate goal of the project, if pilot data is encouraging, is to launch a statewide e-prescribing system.

To learn more about this pilot:
- read this Fresno Business Journal piece

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