This time last year, Maine implemented legislation that requires electronic prescribing for opioids. At the time, Maine ranked 25th in the nation based on prescriber and pharmacist enablement and utilization of the technology, known as E-Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS). Now the state is ranked third in the nation, with virtually all its pharmacies and more than half of all its prescribers enabled for the technology as of May 2018. New York leads the nation, having implemented a legislative requirement in 2016 that requires all prescriptions to be delivered electronically, including controlled substances. Read more...

Today, Surescripts joined more than 70 healthcare organizations in supporting the Healthcare Leadership Council’s “Roadmap for Action” offering guidance for healthcare professionals, lawmakers and regulators to address the opioid crisis. Read more...

As the nation’s policy makers grapple with how to curb the opioid epidemic, we at Surescripts continue to join the conversation at various forums and offer our assistance and expertise in support of the cause. Read more...

The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s largest association of physicians and medical students, is working to reduce barriers to the implementation of electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS), as stated at its 2017 AMA Interim Meeting in Honolulu. Read more...

As most of us know from the news coverage or personal experience, our nation is in the midst of an unprecedented opioid epidemic. Opioid overdose caused more than 33,000 deaths in 2015 alone, and kills 91 Americans each day. Read more...

Surescripts supports the federal declaration of the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency. This action will provide additional resources and increased urgency to assist in our collective response to the crisis. Read more...

We all know the bad news. More people than ever are dying of opioid overdose, and the latest figures show that opioid addiction rates continue to rise. The good news is that technology exists today to help combat the epidemic. Read more...

Claiming the lives of 91 Americans each day, America's opioid epidemic is a national public health crisis.[i] State governments are increasingly taking action through a combination of public policy, technology adoption and education initiatives, as evidenced by the surge of mandates across the country. Surescripts 2016 National Progress Report shows that while e-prescribing is one of the most powerful tools available to fight prescription painkiller fraud and abuse, there are many factors at play. Read more...

If you follow the news, you're aware of the fact that opioid addiction is an American public health crisis that's reached epidemic proportions. In fact, it was recently estimated that drug overdose killed more than 59,000 people last year - the largest annual increase ever, with a significant portion by opioids, which include prescription pain relievers oxycodone, fentanyl and others. Read more...

Opioid abuse is growing by epidemic proportions and no state is immune to its tragic effects - including Maine. In 2016, overdose deaths in the state increased 40% over the previous year.* The good news: Maine is gearing up to fight the epidemic with Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). Read more...

Opioid medications are prescribed to alleviate pain and suffering, but their abuse and misuse is killing more than 33,000 Americans every year. Prescription painkiller abuse is a problem of epidemic proportions and a significant national public health challenge. The good news is, it's one that states are increasingly taking action against with an important weapon: health information technology. Read more...

How does one of the industry's leading surgeons and medical educators want to fight the opioid epidemic? With e-prescribing. Specifically, the electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). Dr. Atul Gawande, general and endocrine surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, and professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School believes EPCS is crucial to reducing opioid abuse. Read more...

If you've followed the news lately, it's no surprise that the opioid epidemic is a serious problem in America today. At this year's HIMSS conference, Surescripts demonstrated how our National Record Locator Service (NRLS) is helping fight it. More than 7,000 conference-goers had the opportunity to see NRLS in action at the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase as Surescripts demonstrated the service's ability to identify patients exhibiting potential drug seeking behaviors. Read more...

Our nation has been crippled by the devastating opioid addiction epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control, opioid drug overdoses played a role in 33,091 deaths in the United States in 2015, and that number is expected to continue to rise. Read more...

In 2014, more than 28,000 American lives were cut short by opioid overdose. In fact, opioid overdose quadrupled from 2000 to 2014, and is now the nation's number-one cause of preventable death. But these potent prescription drugs - which include painkillers like morphine and oxycodone - can help to effectively manage chronic pain for millions of people when properly prescribed, administered and monitored. Read more...

Prescription opioid abuse in the United States is skyrocketing. In some cases, patients are "doctor shopping' - or visiting multiple doctors to obtain multiple prescriptions - in order to fly under the radar. In others, providers are simply overprescribing these highly-addictive opioids. And in nearly 9 percent of the cases, patients are resorting to forging or stealing paper prescriptions. Read more...

CNN recently held an hour-long Town Hall discussion on the opioid epidemic, and with New York's recent enactment of its I-STOP legislation and Maine following closely behind, as well as recent high-profile overdose deaths, this is all positioning the opioid epidemic as a mainstream issue facing our country. Read more...

Electronic prescribing is a first line defense for combating rampant prescription fraud and abuse in the nation today. And in New York, both prescribers and pharmacies have embraced its capabilities in order to make a difference in the fight against opioid abuse while ensuring patient safety and privacy, care quality, and process efficiency remain at the forefront. Read more...

Today, Surescripts released new data about its Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) solution, and how it's helping New York tackle prescription drug abuse. Read more...

Similar to the critical yet complex path to industry interoperability, the electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) still has a ways to go before reaching its full potential. However, today Vermont becomes the final state to legalize EPCS for all schedules of controlled drugs. Read more...

Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances enables a significantly better experience for both patients and providers when compared to the analog methods of the past. Read more...