Web-based Physician Electronic Prescribing Solution Enhances Patient Safety
and Qualifies Physicians for Medicare Incentive Program
CHICAGO and RICHMOND, British Columbia, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ —
Allscripts announced today that Edge Health Solutions, Inc. has selected the
Enterprise version of Allscripts ePrescribe(TM) for 1,000 physicians and
dentists who use Edge practice management software, developed specifically to
leverage the power of Mac OS X(R).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081013/AQM041LOGO)
Canada-based Edge provides US and Canadian physicians and dentists with
innovative practice management solutions exclusively for the Apple Mac(R)
platform. Edge will provide the Allscripts solution as part of its next
generation offerings for Apple desktops, laptops and mobile devices including
the iPhone(R) and the new iPod(R) Touch.
“We’re proud to partner with Allscripts to provide their industry-leading
stand-alone electronic prescribing solution for the increasing numbers of
physicians and dentists who are migrating to the Mac OS, which we believe is
the most powerful and user-friendly operating system on the market today,”
said Troy Spracklin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Edge. “When we
asked our current clients which electronic prescribing solution they wanted,
the overwhelming response was Allscripts, because everyone knows and trusts
the Allscripts name in this industry.”
Allscripts transmitted more electronic prescriptions last year over the
nationwide Pharmacy Health Information Exchange(TM) than any other
e-prescribing vendor, and had the most electronic prescribers connected,
according to SureScripts-RxHub, operator of the Exchange. The company is
experiencing record-breaking week-over-week subscriber growth in the
standalone Allscripts ePrescribe solution, primarily due to a
recently-approved Medicare incentive program.
To help spur adoption of electronic prescribing technology, the Medicare
Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 authorized the Medicare
ePrescribing Incentive Program beginning in January 2009. The program will
pay physicians who prescribe medications electronically up to 2 percent of
their annual Medicare billings, while physicians who fail to use the
technology may be penalized an equal amount after 2012.
“Our partnership with Edge will ensure that physicians are able to realize
all the benefits of electronically prescribing medications, no matter which
technology platform or operating system they use,” said Glen Tullman, Chief
Executive Officer of Allscripts. “Electronic prescription technology is an
easy point of entry for the nearly three-quarters of US physicians who have
yet to implement a full electronic health record. We already have Allscripts
ePrescribe clients using Apple products in their practices, including the
iPhone, to send their electronic prescriptions safely and securely. Our new
partnership with Edge permits these clients and others who prefer Mac to
seamlessly migrate their patient’s demographic data into Allscripts ePrescribe
and begin writing electronic prescriptions in as little as ten minutes.”
Allscripts ePrescribe replaces paper prescriptions with web-based
technology that provides automatic safety checks and helps to avoid dangerous
medication errors attributed to illegible handwriting. Allscripts ePrescribe
downloads in minutes and works on virtually any web-enabled device. By
enabling physicians to send electronic prescriptions to a patient’s preferred
pharmacy, the solution saves time and adds efficiency to the process for
patients and pharmacists.
Allscripts ePrescribe is offered at no charge to every physician in
America via the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative(TM)
(http://www.nationaleRx.com), of which Allscripts is the founder and national
co-sponsor with Dell, Inc.
Edge will provide Allscripts ePrescribe integrated with its other
solutions via the Software as a Service (SaaS) model over the Internet. The
SaaS model enables providers to access patient information and prescribe
medications from virtually anywhere at anytime.
About Edge Health Solutions, Inc.
Edge Health Solutions, Inc. (EHSI) is a is a privately held Canadian
software development company delivering one of today’s most innovative
practice management solutions exclusively for the Apple Mac(R) platform. EHSI
harnesses the unparalleled power of Mac OS X(R) using its proprietary Edge
Management Platform(TM) (EMP(TM)) which provides a foundation specifically
designed for the seamless integration of the most impressive core technologies
and related services known to the healthcare industry. EHSI developed the
world’s first truly integrated tablet Mac solution with its Edge Clinical
ChartBook(TM), a pen based clinical charting and patient education solution
available for both its edgeMD (medical) and edgeDMS (dental) software
offerings. Edge Health Solutions, Inc. is based in Richmond, British Columbia.
About Allscripts
Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX) uses innovation technology to bring health to
healthcare. More than 150,000 physicians, 700 hospitals and nearly 7,000
post-acute and homecare organizations utilize Allscripts to improve the health
of their patients and their bottom line. The company’s award-winning
solutions include electronic health records, electronic prescribing, revenue
cycle management, practice management, document management, medication
services, hospital care management, emergency department information systems
and homecare automation. Allscripts is the brand name of Allscripts-Misys
Healthcare Solutions, Inc. To learn more, visit https://www.allscripts.com.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events,
developments, the Company’s future performance, as well as management’s
expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates or projections relating to
the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws.
These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties, some of which are outlined below. As a result, actual results
may vary materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements.
Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the
volume and timing of systems sales and installations; length of sales cycles
and the installation process; the possibility that products will not achieve
or sustain market acceptance; the timing, cost and success or failure of new
product and service introductions, development and product upgrade releases;
competitive pressures including product offerings, pricing and promotional
activities; our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships;
undetected errors or similar problems in our software products; compliance
with existing laws, regulations and industry initiatives and future changes in
laws or regulations in the healthcare industry; possible regulation of the
Company’s software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the possibility
of product-related liabilities; our ability to attract and retain qualified
personnel; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions, manage our
growth and integrate acquisitions; the ability to recognize the benefits of
the merger with Misys Healthcare Systems, LLC (“MHS”); the integration of MHS
with the Company and the possible disruption of current plans and operations
as a result thereof; maintaining our intellectual property rights and
litigation involving intellectual property rights; risks related to
third-party suppliers; our ability to obtain, use or successfully integrate
third-party licensed technology; breach of our security by third parties; and
the risk factors detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including our 2007 Annual Report on Form
10-K available through the Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange
Commission at http://www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to
update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Glen Tullman https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=80768
SOURCE Allscripts
-0- 12/09/2008
/CONTACT: Dan Michelson, Chief Marketing Officer, +1-312-506-1217,
dan.michelson@allscripts.com, or Todd Stein, Senior Manager|Public Relations,
+1-312-506-1216, todd.stein@allscripts.com, both of Allscripts; or Troy
Spracklin, President and CEO of Edge Health Solutions, Inc. +1-604-248-4880,
ext. 267, troy@edgehealthsolutions.com/
/Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081013/AQM041LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
/Web site: https://www.allscripts.com /
(MDRX)
CO: Allscripts; Edge Health Solutions, Inc.; EHSI; National ePrescribing
Patient Safety Initiative
ST: Illinois, British Columbia
IN: HEA CPR STW
SU: LIC PDT
HB-JP
-- AQTU506 --
6878 12/09/2008 09:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com