Surescripts Boosts Medical Information Exchange Capabilities

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Surescripts will expand its nationwide e-prescribing network to further support digitized medical records and the electronic exchange of clinical information.

Announced earlier this week, the company said it is leveraging the success of its e-prescribing experience and its open, neutral network to enable the nationwide exchange of clinical messages, including up-to-date summaries of patients' recent visits with their healthcare providers.

The Surescripts network is used by pharmacies, payers, 200,000 e-prescribing physicians, and more than 200 different electronic health record (EHR) vendors to send electronic prescriptions and share prescription information nationwide. The company said network participants will have new secure messaging tools through a strategic investment in Kryptiq, a developer of technology that enables providers, their colleagues, and patients to securely share clinical information.

The move is further supported by two years worth of technology pilot work at MinuteClinic, a provider of retail medical clinics nationwide. Surescripts is already linked with over 500 CVS Caremark MinuteClinic sites across 26 states.

"While there is still more work to be done in e-prescribing, we have the expertise and capability to do so much more," Harry Totonis, president and CEO of Surescripts, said in a statement. "We are proud to support the federal government's efforts to encourage doctors to use electronic health record systems to improve quality and safety, and to reduce the cost of care."

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