An online resource for patients and consumers which rates hospitals in the State is now available in Illinois. The Illinois Hospital Report Card is operated by the Illinois Department of Health. It provides ratings on several areas including safety, quality, satisfaction, services, and staffing/beds. Within each of the areas are individual measures, such as, for example, the number of patients who have been given antibiotics prior to surgery.
The Report Card allows for patients to compare different hospitals based upon the areas and measures described above.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) revising its regulations to allow physicians the option of prescribing controlled substances electronically. The regulations will also allow pharmacies to accept the electronic prescriptions.
The DEA noted that the regulations are in addition to, and not a replacement of, existing regulations governing prescribing controlled substances. In announcing the IFR, DEA stated that the regulations provide healthcare providers with the ability to use health information technology, which will reduce paperwork, prescription forgery, and potential prescription errors. By focusing on health IT, the regulations are also poised to create a more streamlined electronic health record integration among the various healthcare entities. Patients will benefit under the new law as well, through the reduction in the time spent waiting for prescriptions to be communicated and filled.
The IFR provides a detailed review of the electronic protections which will be implemented. Identity proofing, authentication, and transmission protocols are addressed. Both prescriber and pharmacy requirements are included in these protections.
The effective date for the regulation is June 1, 2010 but is subject to Congressional Review, which may delay its implementation.
The DEA noted that the regulations are in addition to, and not a replacement of, existing regulations governing prescribing controlled substances. In announcing the IFR, DEA stated that the regulations provide healthcare providers with the ability to use health information technology, which will reduce paperwork, prescription forgery, and potential prescription errors. By focusing on health IT, the regulations are also poised to create a more streamlined electronic health record integration among the various healthcare entities. Patients will benefit under the new law as well, through the reduction in the time spent waiting for prescriptions to be communicated and filled.
The IFR provides a detailed review of the electronic protections which will be implemented. Identity proofing, authentication, and transmission protocols are addressed. Both prescriber and pharmacy requirements are included in these protections.
The effective date for the regulation is June 1, 2010 but is subject to Congressional Review, which may delay its implementation.
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