AUSTIN, TEX. AND SAN MATEO, CALIF., September 9, 2004
Epocrates and FIRSTCARE Team Up to Provide Clinicians in Texas Prescription Drug Information and Clinical Data Via Mobile Computers and the Web
FIRSTCARE has turned to Epocrates to enable its physicians and other health care professionals to compare the co-pay levels of prescription drugs for their patients and provide the most up-to-date clinical information such as dosing and drug interactions, before a prescription is written.
FIRSTCARE service area covers 108 Texas counties, with over 130,000 group and individual members in West and Central Texas. The more than 2,400 participating providers will have access to the FIRSTCARE covered drug list, through Epocrates’ hand-held drug reference applications and through the Epocrates Rx OnlineTM Internet-based clinical reference. All Epocrates products are easily downloadable via the Internet and are currently used by more than 140,000 U.S. physicians, including more than 19 percent of practicing physicians in Texas.
By accessing the Epocrates application at the point of care, providers can immediately see the latest list of drugs and the associated FIRSTCARE benefit options, scan the different drug options and check for drug interactions involving a patient’s current medications. This enables the physician to prescribe appropriate medications that are covered at the lowest co-payment for the patient. Prescription cost information is important because co-payment levels can vary depending on whether the drug is available in a generic, brand-name, multi-source brand or injectable.
“Many of our providers have PDAs. By combining the FIRSTCARE covered drug list with the clinical data available through Epocrates, our providers will have access to both up-to-date preferred drug lists and more complete drug and drug class information enhancing patient care and safety,” said Bryan Novosad, MD, Medical Director, Waco Division for FIRSTCARE.
In the past, doctors had to check each health plan’s printed drug list to determine which drugs were covered. These books quickly become outdated, making it difficult to get access to the most up-to-date benefit information without calling the health plan. As a result, doctors sometimes write prescriptions for medications that are not covered through the patient’s health plan, or that are covered at the highest co-payment. The patient typically doesn’t see that price until he or she is getting the prescription filled. At that point, selecting a more cost-effective medication requires phone calls between the pharmacy and the doctor’s office.
“I use the Epocrates drug reference on a daily basis. It has pretty much supplanted any book form and the monthly prescribing guides I used to use and has been very helpful by having access to the managed care drug lists. We also look at clinical information like drug interactions as we’re prescribing,” said Sam Wang, MD, Associate Program Director of the Memorial Family Practice Residency Program in Texas. “Some patients want to know the difference in cost between drugs. There are literally dozens of choices within drug classes and most often drugs within a category are interchangeable, it’s just brand ‘x’ or ‘y.’ Especially my older patients on fixed incomes - they constantly remind of that, and ask me not to give them the drug that’s going to cost $300 a month. I can look at it and say with all other things being equal, let’s go ahead and prescribe drug ‘A.’”
In fact, a case study by Epocrates on the impact of mobile drug list information, integrated with clinical content, on the prescribing choices and workflow of physicians was presented at an Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy conference. The case study, which was prepared with participation from two medical groups in Connecticut, showed a 64 percent reduction in phone calls from the pharmacy, and an 88 percent greater likelihood that the physician would refer to drug lists provided on a mobile device before prescribing, as compared to a paper reference.
“We are excited that FIRSTCARE is the first regional health plan in Texas to host its covered drug list with Epocrates, a decision that directly meets the needs of its provider network, who wanted the benefits of having access at the point of care to both the covered drug list and Epocrates respected clinical resources. Now, formulary compliance will be enhanced, administrative burdens on providers and pharmacists reduced, and very importantly, patient safety and satisfaction increased,” said Andrew Burns, Epocrates vice president of health services.
About FIRSTCARE
SHA, L.L.C., d.b.a., FIRSTCARE is a state certified and federally qualified health maintenance organization(HMO), locally owned and operated by Covenant Health System in Lubbock and Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene. Established in 1986, FIRSTCARE and its wholly subsidiary, Southwest Life & Health Insurance Company, provide HMO and PPO health care benefits to over 130,000 group and individual members in West and Central Texas. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, FIRSTCARE maintains regional offices in Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, and Waco, with a service area that covers 108 Texas counties. The FIRSTCARE provider network consists of 2,460 participating physicians and over 80 contracted hospitals. For more information about FIRSTCARE and Southwest Life & Health Insurance Company visit www.firstcare.com or www.swlh.com.
CONTACT: Erica Sniad Morgenstern Epocrates Public Relations PHONE: (650) 227-6907 E-MAIL: pr@epocrates.com WEB: www.epocrates.com