Electronic-prescribing: will long-term care be ready?

Passage of the Medicare Modernization Act has thrust electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) into the forefront of health care technology. Health care providers, payers, and the government are hoping that e-prescribing will improve patient safety, quality of care, and efficiency. However, for long-term care facilities, pharmacies, and prescribers to embrace these changes and incorporate e-prescribing into their every day practices, communication standards will have to be created to facilitate transfer of prescription/order information among all three parties. E-prescribing and electronic health records will be an important element of pharmacy practice that consultant and senior care pharmacists should learn about and prepare for now.