Home Forums Discussions Problems e-prescribing tricks needed

Before coming to the AC (version 5), we had used two different stand alone program for electronic prescribing, BluefishRx (for the Palm) and Allscripts. Allscripts (which was sure-scripts based) had some features that I'm not finding on AC, and I wonder if I just don't see them, or if they are not there. If not, they sure were handy, and since AC is also based on Sure-scripts I don't understand why they are missing.

In Allscripts, when selecting an ointment or solution, it showed the available tube amounts or standard sizing. In trying to order, say, triamcinilone cream in AC, I don't see anyplace that it prompts me to order a 15, 30 or 60 gm tube. I can "free hand" it, but I don't always know what the available tube sizes are. Is there a trick here?

Second, things like one-touch test strips and insulin syringes don't seem to appear anyplace in AC, although they did in the other two programs. I can't remember if what my patient uses is called a 27G 3/4" B-P Firetip, or whatever. Allscripts and Bluefish prompted me for this, but AC leaves me hanging again unless I am missing something.

Finally (and I know this is not in AC) after making a selection of prescriptions to process, Allscripts would tell me which ones needed to be printed, and which could be sent electronically, and then automatically sorted them out to either the e-prescribe or the printer. BluefishRx went even further; if it was a Schedule III-V drug, it automatically faxed it with stored signature.

AC is otherwise so slick, I feel I have to be missing something. Can someone guide me?

Hi David,

BluefishRx sounds rather cool. Interesting, since my fax board is a BrookTrout.

I have started using ePrescribe yet. Is there a way to just choose one large tube. I gave up awhile back trying to pick sizes. Then again, a tube of HC2.5% for the back of the ear wouldn't really need 60 grams.

One thing I am going to try to keep in mind is we still have the option of PC to fax. So on some things I will just have to fall back to the old faithful. Let me know if you come up with anything helpful.

The program does not tell you which requiring faxing, copying, etc.

The tube sizes are not included and you have to know the sizes - I know this is a pain, but after you enter it once then the next time you choose that med it auto fills all the other fields.

Currently I can't find needles, etc. also so I fax all of these.

Don't know if this will be addressed by AC, but they are working to make more information/ease of use for the e scrips and I have talked with the programmer and "he is getting close".

My instinct is to remain silent and not betray my ignorance. We were not previously sending Rx by direct fax (in version 4) but last Wednesday finally went to ver 5 and were DELIGHTED to see what I thought was ePrescribing. I sent an Rx to the Pharm. in our building and then called down and asked if they got it. When they said yes, I started sending all Rx's. But I wondered how to integrate the Pharm list with AC. Are there NO other Doctors using e-Rx and seeing my patients? Hmm.. Now I realize I am only Faxing, direct from my laptop to the pharm. It works REALLY easy, but this is still not e-Rx. So we don't have it yet, is that right?

From the write prescriptions screen - go to the ePrescribing menu on the menubar - and select "Manage Via NewCrop Screens" From there you can use some of the e-prescribing functionality. Also, it sounds like your pharmacy may not be using surescripts. check www.surescripts.com to see if they are. Otherwise they will get Rx as fax - even though you are sending it electronically.

I have gone to the manage NewCrop screens, but the user friendliness of them is really awful, IMHO. Like Martin, I'd rather just fax. My impression after 4 years of various flavors of "e-prescribing" ( the only part of an EHR that I really am familiar with) is that it is not all that clean, and sort of seems to have been rushed into production. Sometimes a given pharmacy gets a prescription as an e-script, sometimes it arrives as a fax. And, most of my local pharmacies confirm repeatedly that they are required to print out the e-scripts anyway for their records. I am not really expecting proffered federal dollars anyway, so I only care about what works best.

As mentioned above, BluefishRx let us fax prescriptions for controlled substances (III-V) with a stored signature, and everyone honored it. I have not set up the fax modem to see if that still works with AC. With the ridiculous new DEA method of e-scribing I wonder if that door will be shut.

Nixon may have bombed Cambodia, but ultimately he did get us out of Vietnam. But I will NEVER forgive him for starting the DEA. And I haven't forgiven Steppenwolf for creating the climate that made the DEA seem like a good thing. (The song, "the pusher")

OK all is better!! I did not have all the steps completed for New Crop. I signed (actually clicked) the agreement button and then rebooted and sent an Rx for aspirin to our test patient and the pharmacy downstairs says it came as an e-Rx, not a Fax. I still don't know if I will be getting the patient meds updated if I am in a real patient, but so far so good.

Steppenwolf's awesome!