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DEERFIELD, Ill.(BUSINESS WIRE)
Walgreens (NYSE: WAG)(NASDAQ: WAG):
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Monthly total increases 185 percent over year ago
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E-prescribing promotes goals of health care reform as it lowers costs
and improves adherence to drug therapy
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Federal stimulus package further bolsters electronic prescribing
Walgreens (NYSE: WAG)(NASDAQ: WAG) pharmacies, which have used
electronic prescribing since 1992, filled a record 4 million
prescriptions electronically in October, about 22 percent of all the
drugstore chain's eligible prescriptions and a 185 percent increase
compared with October of last year.
The milestone demonstrates the impact of the Medicare Improvements for
Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which provides financial incentives
for practitioners who use electronic prescribing in 2009, as well as
Walgreens continued support for adoption of this technology throughout
the industry. Greater use of e-prescribing systems promotes the goals of
current health care reform proposals, including lowering costs and
increasing the effectiveness of care.
Walgreens estimates it will fill more than 45 million electronic
prescriptions in 2009 compared with 15 million filled in 2008. The
company expects growth to continue with help from financial incentives
in the federal stimulus package, which encourage hospitals, doctors and
others to adopt electronic health records, a core component of which is
e-prescribing.
?With the federal stimulus package providing $19 billion in incentives
to adopt electronic health records, doctors will gain easier access to
software that makes electronic prescribing possible,? said Don Huonker,
Walgreens senior vice president of health care innovation.
Walgreens is actively encouraging physicians, hospitals and other
drugstores to acquire the health information technology necessary to
electronically prescribe medications.
Continued growth in e-prescribing will help meet the goals of health
care reform,? said Huonker. In addition to lowering costs for doctors
and pharmacies, electronic prescribing makes it more likely that
patients will get their prescriptions filled, benefit from their drug
therapy and avoid more expensive medical procedures. E-prescribing also
reduces the medication errors and adverse drug events that cost the
health care system billions of dollars per year. And by eliminating the
need to call a doctor's office to verify a prescription, e-prescribing
provides pharmacists more time to focus on drug interactions, the right
dosing and patient consultation.?
Walgreens also believes electronic prescribing can be safely extended to
all prescriptions, including controlled substances. Currently, the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Agency does not allow doctors to electronically
prescribe controlled substances, which account for approximately 15
percent of all medications prescribed.
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com)
is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2009 sales of $63.3
billion. The company operates 7,105 drugstores in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most
convenient access to consumer goods and services and cost-effective
pharmacy, health and wellness services in America through its retail
drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and
Wellness division. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients
and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health
Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service
Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and
SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities).
Walgreens Health and Wellness Division includes Take Care Health
Systems, the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health
and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more
than 700 locations throughout the country.
Walgreen Co. Corporate Communications
Robert Elfinger
(847)
914-2962
http://news.walgreens.com
Source: Walgreens
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