DrFirst’s Vice President of Product Strategy and CHIME Opioid Task Force Member to Speak at Critical Connections’ Opioid Crisis Symposium

DrFirst expert to participate in key panel on the opioid epidemic’s current state, progress made and remaining barriers to resolution

 

Rockville, MD – April 24, 2018 – DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of e-prescribing and medication management solutions, announced today that Linda Fischer, the company’s vice president of product strategy, will be a presenter on the panel entitled “State of the Opioid Crisis: Moving Forward. What’s at Stake Now?” at the Critical Connections’ Opioid Crisis Symposium, to be held April 25-26 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. The symposium is organized and moderated by Modern Healthcare, the leader in healthcare business news, research and data.

The panel discussion will take place from 9:00-9:45 a.m. ET on April 26, and will focus on the current state of the unprecedented epidemic, where progress has been made, and what policy gaps need to be filled to reduce addiction, abuse and dependence—and save lives.

Fischer, who also served as chief information officer at Huntington Hospital in Huntington, New York, for 21 years, has taken a prominent role in the national fight against opioid addiction. She is a member of the Opioid Task Force of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), which is advocating for the federal government to become more involved in dealing with this crisis. Additionally, Fischer has been instrumental in DrFirst’s efforts to address the opioid epidemic through collaboration with MedChi, Maryland’s medical society; the University of Maryland School of Dentistry; and CRISP, Maryland’s health information exchange and authorized agent for the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).

“I’m pleased to have the opportunity to join other thought leaders at the Critical Connections’ symposium and share real-world perspectives on how we can rid our nation of this modern-day scourge: the opioid epidemic,” said Fischer. “I share the thoughts of many that it’s only by working together that we can win this complex war against opioid addiction, abuse and dependence.”

In addition to Fischer, the panel of experts will include:

  • James Foreshee, senior vice president of medical affairs & chief medical officer, Priority Health
  • Mark Bicket, director of the Pain Fellowship Program and assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, John Hopkins Medicine
  • Susan L. Freeman, president and CEO, Temple Center for Population Health, LLC
  • Steven L. Kelly, president and CEO, Ellenville Regional Hospital

DrFirst has been in the forefront of helping states fight the opioid epidemic with its industry leading e-prescribing platform, intelligent medication management solution and its recently launched e-prescribing mobile app, iPrescribeSM, which enables physicians to prescribe legend drugs and controlled substances while complying with state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) requirements. By providing ready access to PDMP data at the point of care, without impacting the e-prescribing workflow, DrFirst empowers doctors to more easily identify potential opioid abusers and those who are already addicted, resulting in improved prevention and early intervention for patients—and better health outcomes in the long term.

If media would like to schedule an interview with Linda Fischer or another DrFirst expert, please contact Jenna Warner at 480-664-8412 x 19 or via [email protected].

About DrFirst
DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of e-prescribing and medication management solutions, enables stakeholders across the healthcare industry to use comprehensive real-time data and connectivity intelligently to increase their patient safety ratings, efficiency and profitability. Today, more than 170,000 healthcare professionals and more than 60% of electronic health record (EHR) vendors depend on DrFirst’s innovative software solutions to improve clinical workflows, expedite secure collaboration across a patient’s care team and drive better health outcomes. The company’s integrated technologies include its award-winning electronic prescribing platform, the most comprehensive medication history available, clinically specialized secure messaging, as well as patient medication adherence monitoring and benefits checking. In addition, DrFirst was the first to offer e-prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS) and is considered the industry standard for providers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.drfirst.com or connect with us @DrFirst.

DrFirst Media Contact:
Jenna Warnera
Amendola Communications
480-664-8412 x 19
[email protected]