Pharmacy

Tamper-proof distributed ledger tech helps with efficiency, security, integrity and visibility of pharmacy and other supply chain data. And because it doesn't necessarily involve PHI, it may be a logical place for hospitals to start exploring.  

Their automated identity proofing process helps providers to adhere to looming government-mandated EPCS verification standards, enabling them to approve or deny prescriptions remotely.

HIMSS on Friday issued a call to the healthcare industry to take action in battling the ongoing opioid crisis in America by using health information and technology. While reported opioid drug overdoses killed more than 42,000 Americans in 2016 and nearly 48,000 in 2017, both tech and policy must align in the fight. Specifically, HIMSS recommended four ways: 1. Leverage Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs). A number of states and hospitals are already working on PDMPs to reduce opioid misuse and abuse, beginning with only prescribing opioids when entirely appropriate in the first place. They’re also tracking all prescription data with the aim of preventing avoidable deaths by overdose, allergies or drug-drug interactions. 2. Equip health workers on the front lines of battle against opioids with interoperable electronic health information. HIMSS said this will enable clinicians to make better decisions and, in turn,  more effectively engage patients as partners. 3. Use secure, interoperable technology across the care continuum. This includes integrating acute care, addiction and mental health data, counseling and community support, outpatient services and public health. 4.  Leverage today’s tech advances to appropriately and securely share information across disciplines. Doing so could enable “law enforcement, social services, behavioral health, healthcare, and public health departments to give care where it’s needed and better understand prescribing patterns, overdose rates and movement of the epidemic.” The HIMSS call comes days before its CEO, Hal Wolf, is scheduled to present on the crisis Monday, Sept. 24, at the Canada-U.S. Roundtable on Strategies to Combat the Opioid Crisis in Washington, D.C. Wolf will present the Honorable Mary Taylor, lieutenant governor of Ohio and the Honorable Margaret “Maggie” Hassan, senator of New Hampshire, who are on the front lines of fighting the epidemic in their respective states. HIMSS is the parent organization of Healthcare IT News. Twitter: @SusanJMorse Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com

With a rare near-unanimous vote, the United States Senate passed The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 on Monday evening. It's a massive bill comprising a wide array of proposals drawn from five Senate committees, and has many implications for the use and funding of health IT. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, called the bill – drawn up using input from more than 70 senators and passed by 99-1 vote – a "landmark" piece of legislation meant to combat the nationwide opioid epidemic from all angles. The legislation comes amid an ongoing opioid crisis in the U.S. as policymakers and technology vendors are working to address the issue, while hospitals are piloting apps to find blindspots in prescription drug monitoring programs and using mobile technologies to write fewer prescriptions. It contains funding for stopping the flow of illegal opioids from other countries, and for supporting local programs for prevention, treatment and recovery. The bill also seeks to spur research and development of new non-addictive painkillers and stem "doctor shopping" by boosting prescription drug monitoring programs. It also has funds to give behavioral and mental health providers the tools they need to offer treatment and recovery – including potential electronic health record incentives – and for hospitals to better care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. The legislation's sponsor, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, said he is working to combine the Senate bill and a similar House version passed in June "into an even stronger law to fight the nation’s worst public health crisis, and there is a bipartisan sense of urgency to send the bill to the President quickly." The Senate bill contains many new proposals specifically related to information technology. Among them, it would: Call for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to "develop best practices for prominently displaying substance use treatment information in electronic health records, when requested by the patient." Enable the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to test various models that "provide incentive payments to behavioral health providers for the adoption and use of certified electronic health record technology to improve the quality and coordination of care through the electronic documentation and exchange of health information." Require physicians to prescribe Part D-covered controlled substances electronically and direct CMS specify a list of exceptions and outline the penalty for failure to comply when the e-prescribing requirements. Require that prior authorizations related to Part D e-prescriptions use a standard format to improve the way the authorizations are processed. Provide support for states and localities to improve their Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and "implement other evidence-based prevention strategies, encourages data sharing between states, and supports other prevention and research activities related to controlled substances." Reauthorize HHS's NASPER grant program, allowing states to "develop, maintain, or improve PDMPs and improve the interoperability of PDMPs with other states and with other health information technology." Authorize new program through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the establishment of comprehensive opioid recovery centers. "These entities may utilize the ECHO model, which supports care coordination and services delivery through technology." Give support for states to collaborate on strategies to improve care substance-exposed infants, including the development and upgrades of new technology and monitoring systems to more effectively implement plans of safe care. Require CMS to set up an online portal to enhance communication between the agency, Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug plans, stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Drug Integrity Contractors.   .jumbotron{ background-image: url("http://www.himss.org/sites/himssorg/files/u351641/opioid-collection-hero-712.png"); background-size: cover; color: white; } .jumbotron h2{ color: white; } Opioid Crisis: Tech fights epidemic Learn how tech is being used to battle abuse. Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com

The bipartisan legislation would require HHS to work with the private sector to analyze data from payers and pharmacists, flagging patients at risk of overuse based on prescription history.

She snooped in the EHRs of nearly four dozen people over two years.

Cloud-based platform for prescription drug monitoring programs employs machine learning to track opioid prescriptions.

The Controlled Substance App for IllumiCare's Smart Ribbon technology helps address a "blind spot" with prescription drug monitoring programs officials say.

Pharma giant gains access to DNA data in deal that 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki calls transformative for the startup.

On the first anniversary of the state's mandate, 51 percent of prescribers in the state are fighting the opioid crisis by using electronic prescription for controlled substances.