Is it time to rethink electronic prescribing in the US?

It is a fact of life that most – if not all – patients will require some form of prescription medication during their lifetime. Generally, accessing their assigned medication is relatively straightforward, as non-specialty drugs can be dispensed through various channels, including national retail chains, community retail pharmacies, and mail-order pharmacies.

But, for the select few patients that need specialty drugs, accessing a filled prescription is not quite as simple. While these medications account for a relatively small percentage of overall prescription volume, they tend to be more complex and, in many cases, far more expensive.

Over the past two decades, payers, technology experts, pharmacy benefit managers, and pharmacies have developed solutions to help improve the prescription landscape in the US, with electronic prescribing achieving almost universal adoption across the country. However, this was largely dominated by one company and, as such, practitioners had limited avenues to explore when it came to adopting new methods and processes.

With an increasing number of specialty drugs being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, demand for a greater variety of options in the space has become louder. And both start-ups and historied companies have begun to answer the call.

• Read the full article in pharmaphorum's Deep Dive digital magazine