Surescripts: E-prescribing of controlled substances jumps 600 percent

The number of transactions over the Surescripts network increased by 48 percent in 2015, according to the company’s 2015 National Progress Report.

Surescripts performed 9.7 billion secure health data transactions in 2015, including 1.4 billion electronic prescriptions, 1.05 billion medication histories and 15.3 million clinical messages.

Last year, after processing 6.5 billion transactions, it reported its volume surpassed that of American Express (6 billion) and PayPal (4.2 billion). Its numbers top the daily number of Amazon packages shipped (1.4 million) and Uber rides (2 million), according to an announcement.

What's more, Surescripts says, 77 percent of prescriptions were submitted digitally in 2015, compared with 67 percent in 2014, and 58 percent in 2013.

The number of providers who now can prescribe controlled substances digitally also increased 359 percent in 2015, resulting in a more than 600 percent jump in orders for such drugs. Painkillers such as morphine and oxycodone made up 32 percent of all controlled substance e-prescriptions in December 2015.

Devon Herrik, Ph.D., a senior fellow for the National Center for Policy Analysis, recently urged making e-prescribing mandatory for controlled substances as a means to address the opioid crisis.

New York has done so as part of a larger law called the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act of 2012 (I-STOP), intended to reduce drug diversion and doctor shopping. It has the highest rate of e-prescribing for controlled substances, according to Surescripts data.

Maine, following New York's lead, in April became the second state to enact the requirement.

To learn more:
- read the full report
- here’s the announcement