I'm glad to hear that there is an alternative to the ponderous NewCrop/Surescripts interface.
I am sure that the present eRx problems are not on AC's side, since failures to connect and lag usually causes a blank screen that says "NewCrop has been notified about this connection problem. Please try again later."
No wonder you have to sign up and pay for 1 year in advance. I feel like I've been snookered into a one-year membership in some sleazy "fitness centers".