Surescripts at the ONC Annual Meeting: Combatting the Opioid Abuse with Health IT

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. The country is undeniably in the midst of a public health crisis – one that demands a technology-driven intervention.

On Wednesday, June 1, at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) 2016 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Surescripts will join a panel of health IT leaders from across the country to discuss how technology stands to become one of the most powerful weapons in combatting the opioid abuse epidemic and reducing the fraud, diversion, and abuse of these drugs.

The panel discussion will provide an overview of efforts to expand the Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS), discuss the promise of the technology to support better care, save lives and safeguard against fraud and abuse, and share the latest data on adoption of EPCS and the challenges that providers are facing.

Join us this Wednesday, June 1^st from 3:30pm – 5:00pm at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in room 202A.

The Prescription Opioid and Heroin Crisis: Using Health IT to Combat the Epidemic

• Jamie Parker, Associate Director Health IT, ESAC
• John Klimek, R.Ph. Senior VP, Standards and Information Technology, NCPDP
• Deb Bass, Chief Executive Officer, Nebraska Health Information Initiative
• Travis Kushner Data Exchange and Meaningful Use Program Manager, State of Washington
• Jaime Smith, Statistician, Surescripts

Be sure to follow @Surescripts for live event updates and use #GetEPCS and #ONC2016 to share your perspective on using technology and EPCS to combat opioid abuse!