Bought 1500 DSCM on this news. We'll see if this is a turning point.
drugstore.com Announces New Certification Program for Electronic
Prescriptions; Select Companies to Participate in Test Program for National
Standard
Thursday, November 4, 1999 10:24 AM
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BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 4, 1999--drugstore.com(TM) (Nasdaq:DSCM, news,
msgs), the leading online source for health, beauty, wellness, personal care and pharmacy products,
today announced plans for a certification program that will help define the guidelines for the receipt of
electronic prescriptions by online pharmacies.
The certification program will work with a number of Physician Connectivity Companies (PCCs) that
have developed electronic prescribing applications to help establish and promote the National Council
for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) industry standard for the transmission of electronic
prescriptions to online pharmacies. Selected companies for a six-month test period include: Advanced
Health Technologies (Nasdaq:AHTC, news, msgs), Elixis Corporation, ePhysician, eScript LLC,
iScribe, MedicaLogic, Inc., Medpearl.com, Inc. and ProxyMed, Inc. (Nasdaq:PILL, news, msgs).
drugstore.com and the PCCs will work through technical, regulatory and operational issues with
feedback from NCPDP. The program will begin in early 2000.
drugstore.com will implement the technology to receive electronic prescriptions that comply with
NCPDP's "SCRIPT Standard" protocol, as well as publish tools and requirements necessary for each
PCC to test its ability to successfully send electronic prescriptions to drugstore.com. The PCCs will
provide their applications to physicians and other health care providers enabling them to transmit
electronic prescriptions to drugstore.com. drugstore.com will provide certification for each PCC that
can successfully transmit prescriptions electronically to drugstore.com.
"Electronic prescriptions ultimately will create benefits for consumers, physicians and pharmacies,
saving time at every step of the prescription transaction process," said Andy Stergachis, Ph.D., R.Ph.,
director of pharmacy services for drugstore.com. "As we move into this new arena, it is important that
we actively participate in establishing the necessary safety standards and protocol in providing
electronic services."
"We are pleased that drugstore.com is taking a lead in the testing and use of electronic prescriptions
using NCPDP's SCRIPT Standard, especially in light of the SCRIPT Standard's recent approval as an
American National Standard (ANS)," said NCPDP president Lee Ann C. Stember. "This program will
provide us with valuable insight into the day-to-day application of electronic prescriptions and help build
the foundation for a national set of guidelines."
"There are approximately 2.5 billion prescriptions written in this country every year - and that number is
growing. Today, the process of writing and delivering prescriptions is labor intensive and costly," said
Peter Neupert, president and CEO of drugstore.com. "Through this program, drugstore.com, the
NCPDP and the PCCs will be advancing a new technology and methodology which will increase
efficiency and reduce costs throughout the health care delivery system."
drugstore.com recently received the National Association of the Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Verified
Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) certification, recognizing the online pharmacy as meeting
licensing requirements of all 50 states, as well as the stringent privacy and safety requirements
recommended by the NABP.
About NCPDP
NCPDP, located in Phoenix, AZ, is a non-profit ANSI-accredited Standards Development Organization
consisting of nearly 1,100 members who represent computer companies, drug manufacturers,
pharmacy chains and independents, drug wholesalers, insurers, mail order prescription drug
companies, pharmaceutical claims processors, physician services organizations, prescription drug
providers, software vendors, telecommunication vendors, service organizations, government agencies
and other parties interested in electronic standardization within the pharmacy services sector of the
health care industry. |
