ABSTRACT

From a regulatory perspective, the use of a computer to assemble the required elements of a prescription order is immaterial. On the other hand, transmitting prescription information electronically raises a number of legal and policy questions. To date, however, the literature on electronic prescribing has focused either on its promised benefits or on the practical, operational, and financial considerations that have impeded prescriber acceptance rather than on the regulatory issues raised by electronically transmitting prescription data between prescribers and pharmacies.