DrFirst Responds to Trump Administration’s Position on Opioid Crisis

Industry leader states that prevention, in addition to identification and treatment, is key to long-term resolution of the opioid crisis

ROCKVILLE, MD. – January 4, 2018 – DrFirst, the market leader in ePrescribing and medication management solutions, has issued its response to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, which recently issued a report with recommendations. With the added gravity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcing that life expectancy has fallen for the second year in a row as opioid-related deaths have surged, the company offers its support in dealing with the national crisis.

View the full text of the company’s statement on the DrFirst blog.

The public health advocacy group Trust for America’s Health found that overdose rates rose between 2015 and 2016 in 40 states and in Washington, D.C., and 17 states experienced an increase of 25 percent or more, making this a true national concern. In combating this crisis, DrFirst believes a combined effort to prevent addiction, while identifying and treating those who are addicted, is required.

Technology should play a key role in the prevention of opioid abuse. By using technology to close data visibility gaps, physicians are better armed to identify patients at risk, as well as spot patients who are already suffering from addiction so that they can find the appropriate treatment. DrFirst’s findings and recommendations include:

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP): Each state has its own approach to PDMPs without a standard protocol – even though this information is critical at the point of prescribing to help prescribers acquire the information they need to support patient safety. With a more accurate view of patients’ medications, prescribers can more readily spot individuals who are at risk for opioid addiction and engage in meaningful conversations face-to-face. PDMP data-sharing and PDMP access for prescribers within the e-prescribing workflow must play a major role in addressing the data visibility gaps that currently hamper prescribers’ ability to adequately support their patients.

Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): E-prescribing decreases drug diversion and fraudulent prescriptions. Unfortunately, EPCS adoption has been slow, hampered by the current identity proofing and onboarding process. A more simplified method that places fewer burdens on physicians – while still providing identity proofing and authentication controls – is key to improving EPCS adoption.

Prescribing Mandates: Eleven states have either mandated e-prescribing, or have pending legislation to require it in some form. However, to be effective, they must contain a balance of incentives, penalties and waivers for special cases.

PDMP Reporting of Naloxone Administration: Approximately 10 percent of patients who have received naloxone to reverse an overdose die within one year, likely because the substance abuse disorder remained untreated. It is vital that prescribers have this information via their PDMP at the point of prescribing in order to provide life-saving guidance and treatment.

Empowering prescribers through the use of technology gives them the necessary tools to identify at-risk patients so that they can provide appropriate intervention early, helping to avoid addiction in the first place or treat it more effectively when necessary.

About DrFirst

DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of ePrescribing and medication management solutions, enables stakeholders across the healthcare industry to intelligently utilize comprehensive real-time data and connectivity to increase their patient safety ratings, efficiency and profitability. Today, over 170,000 healthcare professionals and over 60% of Electronic Health Record 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 Warner
Amendola Communications
480-664-8412 x 19
[email protected]