Department of Defense Makes Headway on e-Rx Initiative

The ability to write electronic prescriptions for members of the U.S. military and their families is one step closer to reality. That's according to recent correspondence from TRICARE, the U.S. military health plan, to AAFP President Jim King, M.D., of Selmer, Tenn.

In a recent letter to King, Maj. Gen. Elder Granger said that nonmilitary family physicians and other civilian health care professionals providing health care services through TRICARE now are able to receive the Department of Defense, or DoD, uniform formulary electronically.

"This is an important first step in the DoD e-prescribing, or e-Rx, initiative," said Granger. When physicians access the uniform formulary, they'll see the formulary status, preferred therapeutic and generic alternatives, and copays.

According to Granger, the TRICARE formulary is the most requested formulary from civilian providers in the United States. And e-prescribing will benefit all parties involved.

"The electronic formulary directs health care providers to prescribe more efficiently by using generic and preferred drugs," said Granger. The time saved by physicians and pharmacies trickles down to patients in the form of shorter waits to have prescriptions written and filled. Health plans see financial savings associated with better formulary adherence, less therapeutic duplication and fewer adverse drug events.

The DoD's ultimate goal is to have all TRICARE providers send prescriptions electronically to all points of dispensing, such as military training facilities and mail-order and retail pharmacies, said Granger, adding that soon TRICARE will be fully integrated with commercial e-prescribing entities.