E-prescribing is among the requirements of the HITECH Act's $27 billion incentive program for the Meaningful Use of health IT. And in accordance with the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), Medicare providers who haven't adopted e-prescribing in their practices will face payment penalties starting in 2012.

MedPlus, a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, offers an array of e-health products, including its Care360 e-health record platform. Care360 e-Prescribing Labs and Meds is available as part of the comprehensive Care360 EHR offering, or as a standalone e-prescribing service. Care360 connects to the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange operated by Surescripts. Care360 ePrescribing helps clinicians eliminate data omissions and errors, so there is less chance of a dangerous mistake--or the need for follow-up with patients, pharmacies, or providers. Care360 runs on any Web-connected PC or laptop, as well as on the iPhone and iPad. The service also enables formulary management, drug utilization review, medication insurance eligibility, and expanded medication history among multiple providers.

Pictured here is a screenshot of a Care360 e-Prescribing drug interaction warning that pops up to alert doctors when a prescribed medication could interfere with the safety or effectiveness of another drug that's also recorded as being part of the patient's regimen. The warning also pops up if a patient has a known allergy to ingredients in the prescribed medication. Doctors can choose another medication to prescribe instead, or override the warning and prescribe the drug anyway.