DrugBuyers.Com: electronic scripts

I am posting the text of the article before formulating my response:

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E-prescriptions finding a market niche
Barron's analyzes wired-up way of ordering medication
By Rex Crum, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 5:16 PM ET May 15, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Those illegible doctor's prescriptions could be going the way of Morse code and the black-and-white TV.

A report in this week's Barron's says that even though 95 percent of doctors still write their prescriptions on paper pads, the market for so-called "e-prescriptions" could be about to finally show some real growth. Barron's says that among those trying to boost the use and acceptance of e-prescriptions, health insurance providers are beginning to pay doctors to install electronic prescribing systems, and that about 75 percent of the nation's pharmacies should be connected to a national e-prescription network by the end of summer.

The growth of e-prescriptions is seen as beneficial to the insurers, doctors, customers and companies involved in promoting the technology.

Barron's says e-prescriptions can make the refill process easier than current methods, and thus results in patients taking more of their medicine. Health insurers and prescription benefit managers such as CareMark Rx (CMX: news, chart, profile), Medco Health Solutions (MHS: news, chart, profile) and Express Scripts (ESRX: news, chart, profile) like the concept because they believe doctors will be more likely to prescribe generic and less-expensive brand-name drugs. And the companies that develop e-prescription systems, such as Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (MDRX: news, chart, profile), are in favor of anything that gets their technology in more doctor offices and pharmacies.

However, not everyone is completely sold on the concept. Barron's says that for druggists, one drawback is that prescriptions are more likely to be generic, resulting in lower prescription fees. Also, some retailers think the e-prescribing will spread the use of "split prescriptions" in which a doctor writes a prescription for a local pharmacy, but refills come from a less-pricey mail-order firm.

Barron's says that a study by a health-care group called the eHealth Initiative showed that e-prescriptions could save consumers $27 billion a year. The potential for such savings is seen as a key growth driver for the ordering system.

Rex Crum is a reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com in San Francisco.
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My problem with this system is who has access? I guarantee there will be many 3rd party people who will have access to OUR prescription information. Should any of these individuals care to attempt to subvert or steal scheduled prescriptions, they would know just when and and where to find them.

What if is there is a "bug" in the system? Computers go down. Servers crash. Data gets lost. Obviously back-ups and IT people will have to be employed to maintain continuity and preserve the information. But it still makes me worry.

Personally, it doesn't matter to me who knows (as far as the DEA, the FBI, George Bush--whoever) what I am taking and from whom and how much. But I DON'T want my ability to fill my prescriptions to be hindered by corrupted or lost data. Which begs a question--HOW ARE SCHEDULED PRESCRIPTIONS HANDLED? Anyone who can hack into the system could write their own--or change other peoples' prescriptions. Paper Rx's will probably still be required for schedule II substances, would be my guess.

Perhaps it's just my fatalism or paranoia at work here, but when something CAN go wrong--IT WILL!

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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.