California launches e-Rx pilot program

A pilot study to examine how electronic prescribing can improve patient safety and cut health care costs is to be launched in April in the USA's  biggest state, California. The program is being tested by the California  Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), which provides retirement  and health benefit services to more than 1.6 million members, with about  1.3 million receiving health care.

According to the CalPERS, the trial is the largest e-Rx scheme in  California, which is therefore likely to be the biggest nationwide.

SureScripts, the largest US e-prescribing network, estimates that, in  2008, only 4% of eligible prescriptions were filled electronically,  although California's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican), has  proposed a health care reform package that would make it mandatory for  providers to adopt paperless prescriptions by 2010.