Home Forums Discussions Problems E-RX problems - nothing going through this morning

Seeing is believing...

Freudian slip?
Dave

Doctor Mel,

When the AC rx is working again after I have used Allscripts, I just go to prescribing, enter the meds that I had sent via Allscripts, but hit close instead of send. This is double entry, yes, but does not take very long, and assures that the records of prescriptions in AC are up to date.

I am not sure why there are posts from users and AC every time New Crop goes down. It happens occasionally. We assume it is New Crop and every so often (hourly) try a script.

Excuse me, but every so often has recently been ever so frequent. It is reassuring to go on the community board and confirm that it is happening to others. I am hopeful that the recent disruptions are related to overall improvements in the system. I appreciate the posts on e-prescribing glitches and hope they will continue.

When ePrescribe goes down, we assume it is due to New Crop. Big assumption since it has happened twice. Apparently, when it does go down, it is very stressful.

My comment was a global comment. Why not have the message show up on AC.

If nothing else, this leaves a paper trail to keep track of the problem, Bert. Like anything else, documentation is key. As I stated above, to whom are Newcrop and SureScripts accountable? For us physicians who are being threatened by CMS if we do not prescribe electronically and who suffer a significant inconvenience when Newcrop goes down, it is a big deal. None of us would tolerate our electrical power going frequently, our cell phones going down frequently, etc. I cannot believe that Newcrop has only failed you twice. It has happened twice this week alone!

I am in agreement with Dr Mel and Catherine,

It really helps to look at this user board in real time during the busy day when problems arise, so then I do not waste time trying to figure if it is a global problem or local issue. And the inability to e-scribe has happened quite a bit here lately.

First, Catherine, you are excused.

Mel, I hear what you are saying, but do we really use the user board to document things. Hell, it takes hours to search one thing. And, yes, maybe twice, if that. How often has Time Warner gone down here. Once in seven years. I am just lucky that way.

Jimmie, do you really stop what you're doing and figure out if it is NewCrop or a local issue? The key that everyone missed in my post is I think it's great to know if it is happening to everyone else. But, then I would just go about my business. I guess I have that wrong.

Sorry to cause all of this. I am glad these daily reports help everyone. That's great. I just found it somewhat amusing. I guess because it doesn't happen to me.

So, I will apologize and excuse everyone. And, can we call be a bit more laid back on these things. I was talking generally. If you want to take me to task, PM me.

It's my last post. Can everyone just leave me alone? Words are funny. Take away the inflammatory "Excuse me," and I simply learn about how other users think.

Yes. I think we are a bit unique in our office, excluding the pulmonologist who is just getting started with AC, and is across the hall a ways, we have 5 avid AC users under one roof. So often Dr X, Y, Z, or A will walk by and ask if any problems are going on with AC, so checking the message board to see if the e-scribing is malfunctioning is invaluable on a busy day.

I'll agree with Mel that we need to start keeping track of these outages.

We have become very attuned to this issue because we have clients in the managed environment contacting us to find out what the problem is immediately, so we will often hear from multiple regions within minutes.

To keep our clients abreast of these outages, we now send out text alerts to Doctors'cells so that they know, and can adjust accordingly.

It is also important to understand where & what is breaking, as it appears to be multiple failure points.

Having built and/or operated complex multi-location networks that provided 2-5 9's reliability (99 to 99.999 percent) I know that networks can be built to be extremely resilient if it is a business priority.

This of course begs the question whether they have had an extraordinary run of massive failures, or someone in the food-chain doesn't share the same level of business priority.

I am also curious who is accountable - what does SureScripts or NewCrop do for AC (or the using Doctors) when they go down again? I know that service agreements often constrain damages to refunds for outages, and the ePrescribing service is part of the yearly fee, so there are some interesting questions that need answers.

So who at AC do we email bomb when it goes down again, and again, and again?

I agree with the above. Bert, I cannot let you off the hook on this. This is a user board and, as I have understood it over the past year and a half, we are allowed to discuss things that we think are appropriate, as long as they are not illegal, inflammatory, etc. No one forces anyone to read a post. I can tell you that I get bored reading various posts about building this or that computer, etc. or a certain operating system, and a multitude of other posts, but no one is forcing me to read them. As the forum moderator, I think that you, of all people, would understand that. For you to ask other people to leave you alone, when you have "antagonized" others at times on this forum, is not fair. I, for one, do not have any hard feelings against you, but I think you need to know when to comment and when not to. That is part of being the moderator.

The AC end of the Erx is not the problem.
Finding ways for AC to hold New Crop accountable would be helpful.

Yes, the problem seems to have always been NewCrap (oops, Freudian slip!)

The Surescripts link has rarely been a problem, it is used by all prescribing software as the link to the pharmacies. When AC is down but Allscripts is working, then I know that Surescripts is working.

Tell you what Mel. You can write whatever you want, inflammatory or not. You won't be banned. Don't hold me to a higher standard because I am the admin.

I asked to be left alone. If you want to talk about the subject fine. But, I have just as much right to be asked to be left alone as you do to post.

One more time. Please leave me alone. And, I wasn't antagonistic. Someone else was. All I said to you (in agreement with keeping track) was that starting threads on NewCrop is not the BEST way to keep track. IMHO. Maybe we can come up with a better way.

I find the posts useful, as jimmie and others have stated. If there were an (800) number you could call, like my electric utility, that would have a recording saying "We know, the system is down, we're working on it", then it would be unnecessary. But it is nice to know it is them and not me.

Donna,

I like your idea of redundancy. As for me on a busy day, when either Updox goes down or e-scripts goes down I am reminded of my huge advantage of efficiency with the technology acquired in my practice over the last several years.

Thank you for the idea of Allscripts and have gone to the website so the process to sign up looks pretty painless. Any downsides from your perspective to do this, other than double entry?

Jimmie,
No downside at all.

If it wasn't for double entry, I would still use Allscripts. Its features are significantly better than NewCrop. When I need to know what forms of a drug are available, I always check Allscripts, all of the information comes up with the drug name. It allows you to save both a local and a mail away pharmacy. It is web based, nothing to store, nothing to back up, always accessible anywhere I have an internet connection. I actually still let the refill requests come into Allscripts, it is much easier than the routine in AC. You can prescribe from multiple software, but can only receive refill requests via one.

I had a hard time switching to the AC prescriber because Allscripts was so much better, and so much more reliable. But, alas, I have grieved and moved on.....

Donna,

Thanks for sharing that - it may make sense for some clients to get setup on Allscripts just so they have that immediate option.

.... and as Wendell would say, "It's free, did I mention free?"

Thanks Donna!!!

You definitely got me sold on the idea, and I think will work great for the rest of my partners too when NewCrap is crapping out.

Donna,

I hate to be a pain, but have additional questions. Do the refill requests only come through either Allscripts or Newcrop (AC)? And can you set this to your preferred choice at any time? Currently if the scripts come through AC if I know the patient I will just do it without opening a chart. Are there additional steps when the requests come through Allscripts? I hope this makes sense, if not let me know. thanks.

Jimmie,

Prescribing works like this:
Pharmacies - Surescripts - Prescribing Software (many including NewCrop, Allscripts) - AC

All of the pharmacy refill requests go to Surescripts, then Surescripts directs them to your prescribing software. There is a form that you can get from Surescripts to designate where your refills go. You can only have one designated software for this function.

Although, again, working in the opposite direction, you can send from more than one software.

Because of the way I run my practice, I get very few refill requests. Most of them are automatic, computer generated, not because a patient has really asked for the rx. In Allscripts, it is a very simple 2 click process to deny with an appropriate message. Then, if I need to write rx, I'll use the rx writer in AC. Very quick and simple for me, and no clogging up the encounters with refill requests.

Donna,

Thank you for your quick concise answer.
I just signed up this am and the process took about 5-10 minutes and quite easy. Once again I am reminded how invaluable this user board is for me personally. To be able to have an option like this workaround discussed and then implemented will be quite helpful, and will pass this along to my partners.

Donna,

Are there not software (Allscripts, etc.) between the pharmacies and Surescripts.?

As far as I know Bert, Surescripts is the intermediary between all pharmacies and the software vendors in the order I posted above. I am happy to be corrected if this is not the case, but my understanding is what I posted above.

Should be:

Pharmacy=>Software vendor=>SURESCRIPTS<=Software Vendor<=MD Office

Donna,

Hopefully this will be my last question for you, but I went on the Surescript website to find the form you mentioned. Do you recall how you did this? If you don't please don't waste your time figuring it out for me, and I will just play around on the website, but I have a Y chromosome and sometimes can't see something if it is right in front of me.

I just got the form from Surescripts--so please ignore--sorry----and unable to delete this message now

Jimmie,
Glad you got it.
I have a copy of it if anyone else needs it, PM me with your Email address.

Bert,
Your schematic above makes sense, that the pharmacies would have a choice of software to connect to Surescripts just as we have a choice of EMR.

Donna,

Thanks. I am glad I was able to be helpful at least once on this thread.