eprescription

An electronic prescription, or e-prescription, is the electronic creation, transmission, and filling of medical prescriptions between a prescriber and a pharmacy. It replaces handwritten or faxed prescriptions with digital data, typically generated within an electronic health record or dedicated e-prescribing application and sent to a patient’s chosen pharmacy over secure networks.

E-prescriptions involve several components, including prescriber software integrated with an electronic health record, pharmacy management systems, and a transmission network. Interoperability is supported by standards such as NCPDP SCRIPT in many regions and HL7-based interfaces elsewhere. Security measures, authentication, encryption, and auditable logs help protect patient data throughout the workflow. Decision support features may provide drug interaction and allergy checks, dosage guidance, and formulary substitutions.

The process generally begins when a clinician enters the prescription details into the electronic system, which then transmits the order to the selected pharmacy. The pharmacy receives the prescription electronically, verifies it, and dispenses the medication. Patients may access a summary via a portal and can receive refill requests electronically. Systems may also support integration with patient identities and e-prescribing for controlled substances where permitted.

Benefits of e-prescribing include improved legibility and accuracy, reduced medication errors, faster processing, and better refill management. It can enable real-time safety checks and more complete audit trails, potentially lowering costs. Challenges include implementation expenses, varying levels of system interoperability, privacy concerns, and regulatory requirements that differ by country or region.

Global adoption of e-prescribing varies, with many countries implementing regional or nationwide networks while others rely on localized solutions. Ongoing developments emphasize broader accessibility, cross-border compatibility, and stronger integration with digital health initiatives.