ePrescribing Dashboard

Florida Metrics

The table below shows an average of 63% of pharmacies in all Florida Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) are actively receiving ePrescriptions. This number is slightly deflated due to the fact that a quarter of Florida’s pharmacies are in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale MSA, and only 44% are receiving ePrescriptions in this MSA. In the larger MSAs in Florida a greater percentage of pharmacies are actively receiving ePrescriptions, for example 67% in Tampa, 72% in Orlando and 74% in Jacksonville. Punta Gorda has the highest percentage in the state, with 83% of pharmacies ePrescribing

Based on 2007 data from SureScripts, the below table shows pharmacies that are activated to receive ePrescriptions and those that are actively ePrescribing across all Florida MSAs.

Based on statistics provided by SureScripts, the number of health care professionals who are ePrescribing (ePrescribers) almost doubled in 2007 as shown in the below graph. The increase in the number of ePrescribers shows a steady upward trend that increases its pace toward the end of the year.  Between January and June, an average of 58 new practices began ePrescribing, compared to 115 per month between July and December.  Over the year, the number of ePrescribers increased by 80%.

The below graph also shows the number of new prescriptions and prescription refills sent via ePrescribing in 2007. In January there were 64,192 transactions, which increased to a high of 202,225 transactions in November. There was a 199% increase in ePrescriptions between January and December. The change in transactions also demonstrates an increase in the actual number of ePrescriptions submitted by each physician. In January each physician submitted an average of 50 ePrescriptions per month. By June this had climbed to an average of 72 ePrescriptions per physician, and reached its peak in November with 92 ePrescriptions per physician. These numbers indicate that ePrescribing transactions increased not only because there were more physicians writing them, but because physicians wrote more ePrescriptions throughout the year.

Total ePrescribing transactions do not tell the entire story. There are different types of ePrescribing transactions – for new prescriptions, for refills requests and refill responses. The graph below breaks down the ePrescribing transactions into these component types, based on statistics reported by SureScripts. Clearly, new prescriptions make up the greatest number of prescriptions in 2007, at about 47% of all prescriptions. They are also the fastest growing type of transaction, with a growth rate of 224% between January and December. These figures suggest that much of the ePrescribing activity in 2007 came about through physicians moving from writing paper prescriptions into the ePrescribing system as doctors came online. Refills also increased through the year, though at a lower 196% growth rate. To the extent that physicians write prescriptions that need refills, and there are no data at present to check that rate, the number of refills will tend to follow the growth curve of new prescriptions, as is indicated below. Refill responses follow a similar curve as refill requests, though with a smaller number of transactions, indicating that not all prescriptions are refilled. The growth rate through the year for the refill responses is 152%.

Several types of transactions are shown in the below table.  Data from RxHub report the number of eligibility requests the company received combined with the number of medication the company returned to e-prescribers in Florida. It also shows the total number of new prescriptions, refill orders from physicians and refill requests from pharmacies for RxHub, SureScripts and eRx (which submitted on 4th quarter 2007 data).  By presenting data on all electronic transactions across Florida, it is possible to build up a picture of network activity that comprises the cycle of ePrescribing, from requesting eligibility to refilling prescriptions.

Total 2007 E-prescribing Transactions in Florida by Metropolitan Statistical Area