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CCHIT Taps SureScripts to Certify E-Prescribing Interoperability of Electronic Health Records

Posted on: Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 15:00 CDT

SureScripts(R) today announced that the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT(SM)) has selected it as one of the health information exchanges to certify e-prescribing interoperability for electronic health record (EHR) systems. Vendors of ambulatory (office-based) EHR products can satisfy the CCHIT certification requirements for electronic prescribing and sharing of prescription information by completing certification for the following SureScripts services:

 --  E-Prescribing - facilitates the electronic transmission of new     prescriptions from physician to pharmacist; --  E-Refills - enables physicians to electronically receive and respond     to refill authorizations from pharmacies; --  Rx History - allows physicians to electronically access patient     medication history from pharmacies and payers; --  Eligibility and Formulary - provides physicians with real-time,     electronic access to information from patient drug plans.      

Part of CCHIT's recently approved 2007 criteria for ambulatory (office-based) EHRs requires that, to achieve certification, EHR products demonstrate the ability to provide electronic connectivity to pharmacies for the transmission of new prescriptions and refill authorizations. These criteria will take effect May 1, 2007.

CCHIT has developed certification criteria based on technical standards for sharing information that have been reviewed and approved by the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP). Once HITSP approves a standard, CCHIT's work groups may reference that standard in the development of conformance criteria used in its voluntary certification program for EHRs. CCHIT is a federally Recognized Certification Body in the United States for certifying health information technology products.

"CCHIT's work is essential to advancing the interoperability of the nation's healthcare system," said Kevin Hutchinson, president and CEO of SureScripts. "This step taken by CCHIT to require EHRs to be interoperable with pharmacies is the first step toward overall healthcare interoperability. The pharmacy industry has spent tens of millions of dollars and thousands of man hours in preparation for full electronic interoperability with physicians. Many EHR vendors have previously taken advantage of this interoperability for their customer base by achieving certification prior to its becoming CCHIT criteria. It is a positive step to see those EHR vendors rewarded for their effort to improve their application for their users. Integrated electronic prescribing is quickly replacing a very old and tired traditional prescribing process based on illegible handwriting and unreliable fax machines."

For SureScripts Certified Solution Providers

For those EHR vendors who have already been certified by SureScripts for a given standard, one step in the process of complying with CCHIT's Ambulatory EHR 2007 criteria has been simplified. To meet the new e-prescribing interoperability criteria, the EHR vendor forwards the certificate they received upon completion of the SureScripts product certification process to CCHIT with other required product documentation.

Today, there are 60 SureScripts Certified Solution Providers that have completed SureScripts certification for e-prescribing and e-refills -- 12 of which have products certified by CCHIT based on Ambulatory EHR 2006 criteria:

 --  Allscripts (TouchWorks(TM) EMR) --  Bond Technologies (Bond Clinician(TM) EHR) --  Community Computer Service (MEDENT) --  eClinicalWorks (eClinicalWorks) --  e-MDs (e-MDs Solution Series) --  EPIC Systems (Epicare Ambulatory EMR) --  McKesson (Horizon Ambulatory Care(TM)) --  MedPlexus, Inc (MedPlexus EHR) --  MedicWare (MedicWare EMR) --  NextGen Healthcare Information Systems (NextGen EMR) --  Practice Partner (Practice Partner) --  SSIMED (EMRge(TM))      

An additional 13 EHR vendors that have products certified under the CCHIT 2006 criteria are in the process of completing SureScripts certification for e-prescribing and refills. Physicians and health IT industry watchers can track the status of a vendor's SureScripts certification status at http://www.surescripts.com/certified.

About CCHIT

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT(SM)) is an independent, nonprofit organization that has been recognized by the federal government as an official certification body for electronic health record products. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of health information technology by creating a credible, sustainable product certification program. The certification requirements are based on widely accepted industry standards and involve the work of hundreds of expert volunteers and input from a variety of stakeholders throughout the health care industry. More information on CCHIT and CCHIT Certified(SM) products is available at www.cchit.org.

About SureScripts

Founded by the pharmacy industry in 2001, SureScripts(R) operates the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange(TM), which facilitates the secure electronic transmission of prescription information between physicians and pharmacists and provides access to lifesaving information about patients during emergencies or routine care. Today, more than 95 percent of all pharmacies and all major physician technology vendors in the United States are certified on the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange. More information about SureScripts is available at www.surescripts.com.

 SureScripts Contact: Rob Cronin 917-414-5289 rob.cronin@surescripts.com

SOURCE: SureScripts

Source: MARKET WIRE

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