Allscripts e-prescribing Tool to Be Offered on New AMA Web Solution
New AMA Web-based Solution will Provide Allscripts e-prescribe Option At No Additional Cost to Physicians Nationwide
CHICAGO (July 14, 2009) –
Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX) announced today that it is working with the American Medical Association (AMA) to offer to physicians nationwide an AMA-branded electronic prescribing tool based on Allscripts leading e-prescribing technology. It will be the only AMA-branded electronic prescribing solution available at no cost to subscribers of a new online solution being developed by the AMA. The collaboration is an effort to help practicing physicians adopt and implement health information technology for improved patient safety and enhanced practice efficiency.
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Allscripts Electronic Prescribing improves patient safety and quality of care by automating the process of handwriting prescriptions on paper. The federally-supported Institute of Medicine issued two studies concluding that universal electronic prescribing would help prevent the 1.5 million injuries and 7,000 deaths that arise each year from preventable medication errors and save billions of dollars.
“Electronic prescribing holds tremendous promise for improving patient safety and quality of care while contributing to a more efficient workflow,” said AMA Board Member Joseph M. Heyman, M.D. “By offering this solution from Allscripts, one of the leading providers of e-prescribing, we are making it easier for physicians to adopt this new technology. Electronic prescribing can help enhance quality while also helping physicians qualify for Medicare payment incentives.”
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) increases Medicare payments to physicians who regularly utilize e-prescribing and reduces payments for those who fail to use the technology. The law is intended to increase adoption of e-prescribing, widely viewed as the precursor to a full Electronic Health Record (EHR) and automation not only of prescriptions but all aspects of a physician’s clinical workflow. President Obama recently signed legislation that provides physicians up to $44,000 over five years to adopt and use Electronic Health Records in their practices.
“We are extremely proud that the AMA, the largest and most respected professional physician association in the United States, has selected Allscripts as the only AMA-branded electronic prescribing application that is available at no cost to subscribers of their new physician Web solution,” said Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts. “This collaboration marks a critical milestone on the road to improved health care for all Americans, and will help more physicians take advantage of the federal government’s offer of financial aid in adopting and using health information technologies like electronic prescribing.”
The American Medical Association will make Allscripts Electronic Prescribing available to physicians through a new AMA physician Web-based solution, currently in beta testing. The online solution will provide physicians access to information, products, services, and resources to facilitate medical practice and speed adoption of health information technologies. The AMA plans to launch the solution in 2010.
The AMA-branded Allscripts Electronic Prescribing solution requires no download, minimal training and can be accessed from any Web-enabled device. The solution quickly generates secure electronic prescriptions and delivers them to retail and mail order pharmacies via Surescripts, which operates the country’s largest electronic prescribing network – the “backbone” that facilitates e-prescribing in the U.S. With a patient’s consent, all prescriptions are checked for potentially harmful interactions with a patient’s other medications using Surescripts prescription history service. Prescribers are also able to check a patient’s prescription benefit, including coverage status and formulary information from leading payers, plans and pharmacy benefit managers connected to the Surescripts network. Clinicians also can use the solution to search for targeted health-related information they need or information on their patients using a custom search engine provided exclusively for Allscripts by Google.
About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association helps doctors help patients by uniting physicians nationwide to work on the most important professional and public health issues. Working together, the AMA’s quarter of a million physician and medical student members are playing an active role in shaping the future of medicine. For more information on the AMA, please visit www.ama-assn.org
For more AMA news, follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/AmerMedicalAssn.
The AMA e-prescribing learning center can be found at: www.ama-assn.org/go/eprescribing.
About Allscripts
Allscripts uses innovation technology to bring health to healthcare. More than 160,000 physicians, 800 hospitals and nearly 8,000 post-acute and homecare organizations utilize Allscripts to improve the health of their patients and their bottom line. The company’s award-winning solutions include electronic health records, electronic prescribing, revenue cycle management, practice management, document management, medication services, hospital care management, emergency department information systems and homecare automation. Allscripts is the brand name of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com.
For more Allscripts news, follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/AllscriptsMisys
This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events, developments, the Company’s future performance, as well as management’s expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are outlined below. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the volume and timing of systems sales and installations; length of sales cycles and the installation process; the possibility that products will not achieve or sustain market acceptance; the timing, cost and success or failure of new product and service introductions, development and product upgrade releases; competitive pressures including product offerings, pricing and promotional activities; our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships; undetected errors or similar problems in our software products; compliance with existing laws, regulations and industry initiatives and future changes in laws or regulations in the healthcare industry; possible regulation of the Company’s software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the possibility of product-related liabilities; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions, manage our growth and integrate acquisitions; the ability to recognize the benefits of the merger with Misys Healthcare Systems, LLC (“MHS”); the integration of MHS with the Company and the possible disruption of current plans and operations as a result thereof; maintaining our intellectual property rights and litigation involving intellectual property rights; risks related to third-party suppliers; our ability to obtain, use or successfully integrate third-party licensed technology; breach of our security by third parties; and the risk factors detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K available through the Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE: Allscripts – 07/14/2009
CONTACT: Dan Michelson, Chief Marketing Officer, +1-312-506-1217,
dan.michelson@allscripts.com,
or Todd Stein, Senior Manager/Public Relations, +1-312-506-1216, todd.stein@allscripts.com, both of Allscripts;
or Leah Dudowicz, Public Information Officer, American Medical Association,
+1-312-464-4813, leah.dudowicz@ama-assn.org
Web Site: http://www.allscripts.com
(MDRX)
Source: Allscripts