Why is ePrescribe Iowa needed?
According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), each year 1.5 million patients are injured and more than 7,000 patients die from preventable medication errors linked to handwriting errors and other problems associated with writing prescriptions on paper. A 2006 IOM study showed that much of the error is due to illegible hand-writing and unclear abbreviations and doses. Verbal communication among physicians, patients and pharmacists also contributes to lost or confusing information that can lead to life-threatening problems. We believe widespread use of electronic prescribing will contribute to reducing the overall cost of health care in America. National savings from universal adoption of electronic prescribing systems could be as high as $27 billion, according to a 2003 study by the Center for Information Technology Leadership, a nonprofit research organization.
