Leading Pain Management EMR software vendor 1st Providers Choice is pleased to announce that members of our team will be attending the 2015 Scientific Meeting hosted by the Florida Academy of Pain Medicine (FAPM) in conjunction with the Florida Society of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and the American Academy of Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine.

The conference is set to take place at the Grand Cypress Hotel in Orlando, Florida from June 26-28. Health professionals will have the opportunity to earn their 20 mandatory credit hours at the meeting, in addition to networking with other pain medicine specialists.

1st Providers Choice will join other industry-specific product vendors and service providers in the exhibit hall to showcase our Stage 2 certified EMR software for pain medicine. The software offers a wealth of features to improve healthcare delivery and practice profitability. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with our billing and scheduling solution and online patient portal for total practice management.

E-prescribing Software for Pain Medicine

Our EMR software for pain medicine specialists includes an advanced e-prescribing module. It makes it easy for providers to automatically download a list of current medications, and it allows for e-prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). EPCS improves prescription management and medication adherence and reduces medication abuse and fraud.

For more information about EPCS and our leading EMR software for Pain Medicine, call 480-782-1116.

In 2009, more than 1 million emergency department visits were attributed to prescription drug abuse. Controlled substances have the potential for dependence and overdose; therefore, precautions must be taken when prescribing these medications. Electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) is one way to improve safety and quality of care. It allows providers to write and send prescriptions securely and electronically to a patient’s pharmacy, which helps control prescription drug abuse.

The Drug Enforcement Agency first approved the use of EPCS in 2010, and it is now legal in 49 states, plus Washington, DC. EPCS not only helps control prescription drug abuse through refill request monitoring; it can also alert pharmacists to multiple prescriptions for the same patient by different providers.

Some of the other benefits of writing and transmitting controlled substances prescriptions electronically include:

• Fewer mistakes in dose designations
• Greater medication compliance
• Fewer forged prescriptions
• Ability to check for drug-drug drug-allergy interactions
• Improved clinical decision support

EPCS in New York State

Electronic prescribing of controlled substances will be mandatory in New York State starting March 2016 for drugs in Schedules II through V. To comply with the EPCS requirement, providers and pharmacists will need to use computer applications that meet federal security requirements for e-prescribing.

Using E-prescribing Software for EPCS

Whether your organization is in New York and needs to prepare for next year’s EPCS deadline, or you simply want to start writing e-prescriptions for controlled substances to improve patient care, there are two things you need to do to get started.

1. Find out if your e-prescribing software is certified to electronically prescribe controlled substances.
2. Find out whether local pharmacies plan to offer EPCS. You can find a list of EPCS-enabled pharmacies here.

1st Providers Choice’s EMR and e-prescribing software is designed to meet federal requirements for electronic prescribing of controlled substances. Our software improves prescription management and medication adherence, contributes to better health outcomes, and increases convenience for patients.