News

DAMMAD parents call for prescription drug monitoring in real time for New Hampshire

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - Steven H Steiner

By Federal Law, the state of New Hampshire has both the authority and responsibility for regulating the administration of prescription drugs within its borders. State laws outline who can prescribe, who can dispense, and who maintains the authority for prescription drug administration policy development and oversight. This awesome responsibility involves the dispensing of some of the most precise compounds ever developed for humans. These advanced therapies have profound beneficial capabilities, are one of the most expensive aspects of healthcare services, and have become one of the most lethal forces facing both the young and old.

Few products or services in the United States have the ability to financially impact or kill as quickly as prescription drugs.Yet, all current methods of enforcing and monitoring the compliance of prescription drugs relies upon paper orders, incomplete and fragmented information, asynchronous communication, and retrospective analysis of latent data. The challenge of prescription drug administration facing state governments is much bigger than drug diversion monitoring, or burgeoning Medicaid budgets. States must implement practical systemic changes that, as a byproduct, reduce diversion, abuse, deaths, and other costs of prescription drug misuse. The Veriscrip™ (“Veriscrip”) system provides turnkey, industry-tested solutions for Real Time Prescription Drug Administration Compliance.

•  Prescribed by an authorized individual; 
•  Prescribed for an appropriate diagnoses; 
•  Prescribed medication is compatible with other patient therapies;
•  Patient’s drug history has been provided to and considered by the prescriber;
•  Prescribed medication is compatible with financial guidelines;
•  Prescription order is securely communicated to dispensor without potential for forgery;
•  Prescription can be filled at preferred location of patient or per insurance source;
•  Patient is fully counseled on the prescribed drug;

How can this compliance be practically achieved?

Backed by legislative requirement, New Hampshire prescribers would join an estimated 15% of the US physician community and begin writing prescriptions electronically. This would be done via PC or handheld device, and would produce compliant prescriptions, monitored in real time. The system exists today, and has been tested for e-prescribing functionality by more than 4,000 physicians.

How does Veriscrip ™ insure the security of this information and the authenticity of the users?

One of the keys not only in the success of the Veriscrip program but also for the adoption by the various stakeholders is in the security of the data. In an age where a patients health record can be stored digitally at a single location along with hundreds of thousands of others keeping the data safe will involve more than just simple logins and passwords:

•  Traditional web-based systems rely on standard encryption (128 to 256bit)
•  Traditional PDMP databases use single factor authentication; typically login name and password
•  Traditional PDMP reporting systems use open networks, faxing and a variety of other unsecure methods for delivery of the results
•  Traditional programs only involve the dispenser (Pharmacist) as the gatekeeper and rely on the use of a photo ID to authenticate the patients when filling.