Surescripts(R) to More Than Double the Number of Physicians Using E-Prescribing in 2009

ALEXANDRIA, VA and ST. PAUL, MN, Oct 05 (MARKET WIRE)
--
Surescripts, The Nation's E-Prescription Network, today announced that
more than 140,000 (23 percent) of all office-based physicians, nurse
practitioners and physician assistants in the United States are now
e-prescribing. At the current pace, Surescripts projects that its total
number of active e-prescribers in 2009 will more than double the 74,000
active e-prescribers at the end of 2008.*

"E-prescribing is worthwhile for me because I can create a prescription
in one-quarter of the time it took me previously, as it is automatically
recorded into our system," said Dr. Greg Fuller, a family physician in
Keller, Texas. "This is also very beneficial for tracking and managing
potential drug interactions with other medications. Plus, it solves the
age-old problem of illegible handwriting."

"The e-prescribing process adds efficiencies to our practice in many ways,
as time-consuming faxes have been eliminated, making our patient service
more efficient," said Dr. Narinder Batra, internist and pediatrician at
Lenawee Adult & Pediatric Medicine located in Adrian, Mich. "We also no
longer need to regenerate prescriptions, due to the automatic electronic
record keeping. Formulary review also significantly reduces costs, and
drug interactions and allergies are also checked which avoids
complications."

Surescripts also announced that physicians can now choose from more than
200 types of e-prescribing and electronic medical record (EMR) systems
that have been certified and are connected to the Surescripts network --
a 38 percent increase over the number available at the start of 2009.**
The growth in certified software makes the vital capabilities that define
e-prescribing available to more physicians and the communities they serve.

Physicians and other prescribers use software certified by Surescripts to
establish a secure, electronic link to pharmacy benefit managers and
thousands of health plans nationwide. This allows them to confirm coverage
and look up information such as prescription co-pays and the availability
of generic alternatives for two-thirds of all Americans. With their
patient's consent, prescribers can also access prescription history.
Lastly, prescribers use the Surescripts network to send e-prescriptions to
any of 51,000 retail pharmacies (representing 84 percent of all retail
pharmacies) or six of the largest mail order pharmacies.***

"The Nation's E-Prescription Network benefits patients in every state in
the nation," said Harry Totonis, president and CEO of Surescripts.
"Whether it is the convenience of making one trip to the pharmacy or
receiving your prescription by mail, or the improved safety of legible
prescriptions and providing doctors a more complete prescription history,
or the savings that come from a patient and their doctor knowing about
and selecting lower-cost prescription alternatives -- the Surescripts
network makes these benefits available to millions of patients cared for
by more than 140,000 physicians, nurse practitioners and physician
assistants nationwide."

The Nation's E-Prescription Network

In addition to announcing the growth in physicians and software vendors on
the Surescripts network, Surescripts also released a revamped company logo
featuring the tagline "The Nation's E-Prescription Network(TM)." The
redesigned logo is the next step in a comprehensive rebranding and
education campaign that seeks to raise the visibility and understanding of
the benefits of e-prescribing for all Americans. To view the logo, go to
www.surescripts.com.

"Our brand reinforces the fact that Surescripts is at the center of the
nation's move toward digital healthcare," said Rick Ratliff, executive
vice president for customers and markets and group executive at
Surescripts. "We believe that physicians and their patients are ready to
leave the paper behind -- and it starts with e-prescriptions."

* To find out which physicians and pharmacies use e-prescriptions in a
particular community, visitors to www.surescripts.com can simply type in a
zip code or select a state and town.

** For a full list of Surescripts software certified for prescribers, go
to www.surescripts.com/certified.

*** To view a full list of the payers, pharmacy benefit managers and
pharmacies connected to the Surescripts network, go to
www.surescripts.com/connected-pharmacies.html.

About Surescripts

Surescripts, The Nation's E-Prescription Network, gives healthcare
providers secure, electronic access to prescription and health information
that can save their patients' lives, improve efficiency and reduce the
cost of healthcare for all. Available during emergencies or routine care,
the Surescripts network connects prescribers in all 50 states through
their choice of e-prescribing software to the nation's leading payers,
chain pharmacies and independent pharmacies. Through its work in
standards, certification, education and collaboration at the national,
regional and state levels, Surescripts and its network have become the
backbone that facilitates e-prescribing. For more information, go to
www.surescripts.com.

Press Contact:
Rob Cronin
(917) 414-5289
rob.cronin@surescripts.com

Copyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

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