More than 3.1 million e-prescriptions written by doctors in Southeast Michigan e-prescribing Initiative in 2008
DETROIT, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- According to the results of a nationwide report on electronic prescribing (e-prescribing), the state of Michigan is now third in the nation in its use of electronic prescriptions based on the total number of e-prescriptions routed in Michigan in 2008 -- which was nearly 4.9 million. The driving force behind the state's embrace of e-prescribing is physicians participating in the Southeast Michigan e-prescribing Initiative (SEMI). The findings are part of the annual Safe-Rx(TM) Awards announced June 22 by Surescripts(R) which operates the country's largest e-prescribing network and annually publishes state rankings and progress reports detailing e-prescribing adoption and use.
SEMI was launched to promote e-prescribing among physicians in Southeast Michigan by a coalition including General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Group LLC, the United Auto Workers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Health Alliance Plan, Henry Ford Medical Group, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and CVS Caremark Corporation.
'That Michigan is now among the top three states in the nation in e-prescribing speaks to the success of the SEMI program in significantly moving the needle when it comes to physicians' adoption and use of this technology,' said Marsha Manning, Manager of Health Care Initiatives and Public Policy for General Motors, and a member of the SEMI e-prescribing Initiative Steering Committee. 'Each year we've been improving on those numbers and by doing so have made pharmacy care safer for patients in Michigan, as well as helping to reduce costs for physician practices, employers and consumers. We see this as validation of SEMI's leadership, financial investment and early belief in the value of e-prescribing.'
Michigan received the Safe-Rx Award for finishing 3rd among the top 10 e-prescribing states in the nation, rising from 5th place in 2008. The Safe-Rx Awards are given each year to the ten states that route the most electronic prescriptions as a percentage of the total number of prescriptions eligible for electronic routing over the Surescripts network. Michigan has steadily climbed up the scale since the Safe-Rx awards began in 2006 when it was nationally ranked 10th in the use of the technology.
About SEMI
Launched in February 2005, the Southeast Michigan e-prescribing Initiative is one of the largest, employer-driven e-prescribing initiatives to encourage the adoption and use of e-prescribing, and measure the impact of e-prescribing technology on improving patient safety and reducing prescription drug costs.
More than 3,800 physicians have enrolled in SEMI since its inception and have routed more than 13 million electronic prescriptions over that time period.
