Cerner teams with DrFirst to link EHR to state PDMPs nationwide

A major healthcare IT vendor is now able to connect its electronic health record system to prescription drug monitoring programs in 46 states and Washington, DC.


A major healthcare IT vendor is now able to connect its electronic health record system to prescription drug monitoring programs in 46 states and Washington, DC.

Cerner has joined forces with e-prescribing and medication management vendor DrFirst to ensure that physicians have quick access—directly within the EHR—to critical drug information in the PDMPs, state-run databases that track prescriptions.

PDMPs record a patient’s opioid prescribing history and are used to flag suspicious activity involving controlled substance prescriptions.

Supporters of the databases have been calling for the integration of PDMP data into EHR systems to minimize provider burden, provide up-to-date information at the point of care, as well as improve interstate health information exchange.

“Access to prescription drug data within and across state lines can help identify and prevent drug-seeking behaviors, as well as inform physicians of a person’s history to help avoid misuse and guide treatment decisions,” says Eva Karp, Cerner’s senior vice president and chief clinical and patient safety officer.

“At a time when the opioid epidemic continues to grow, it’s important that we transform healthcare for the patient, advancing smarter pain management and timely engagement with individuals to prevent or alleviate substance use disorder,” Karp adds. “Our work with DrFirst to expedite connections to PDMPs is part of our ongoing commitment to relentlessly seek breakthrough innovation to shape the healthcare of tomorrow.”

Also See: Cerner offers new opioid toolkit integrated with its EHR

“At DrFirst, we have long believed in the importance of connecting prescription drug monitoring data across the country and aggregating opioid-related data for clinicians to use in a standardized in-workflow user experience,” says G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst.

“We’re confident that this collaboration with Cerner will be hugely impactful for providers as they strive to make use of all relevant data to inform care decisions. Simplifying clinical workflows helps clinicians quickly review information to support treatment decisions and patient safety. We are proud to work with Cerner to support smarter prescribing and patient safety,” Deemer adds.

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