COVID-19 Changed Everything – Including Prescribing
It’s difficult to find an area of our lives that hasn’t been affected by COVID-19. The global pandemic changed how we work, how our children learn, and how we interact with our friends and family. Healthcare also changed dramatically, with elective procedures put on hold and doctor visits shifting to telehealth. So it’s no surprise that prescribing has changed over the past year as well.
By the end of 2020, a DrFirst report shows that healthcare providers had issued more than 3 million new prescriptions using the iPrescribe mobile app during the year. Although there was a 124% overall increase in prescribers using iPrescribe in 2020 over 2019’s level, the average number of new prescriptions per prescriber still rose 12% year over year, indicating that providers used the app to write more prescriptions on average during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Prescriptions Reflect Pandemic’s Effect on Mental Health
A sharp increase in depression and antianxiety medications accounts for some of those new prescriptions. Within iPrescribe, prescriptions for antidepressants rose 57%, while those for antianxiety medications climbed 37%. Prescriptions to treat opioid withdrawal and help reverse opioid intoxication or overdose increased 13%.
“People have been facing disruption in every aspect of their lives because of the pandemic, and doctors throughout the country are reporting that it’s affecting their patients’ mental health,” says Colin Banas, M.D., MHA, Chief Medical Officer for DrFirst. “Concerns about whether they or a loved one could become ill or die from COVID, managing unexpected financial burdens and sudden changes in work status, having children attending online classes from home, and not being able to visit with friends and family is taking a toll, so it’s no surprise there are more prescriptions for medications to treat these issues.”
Physicians Shift Toward Mobile E-Prescribing
Most e-prescribing occurs from a desktop computer connected to the provider’s electronic health record (EHR) system, but that’s beginning to change. With the pandemic causing many providers to work from alternate locations, smartphones and tablets are providing convenient access to mobile e-prescribing, complete with access to state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and automatic safety alerts for allergies and potential drug interactions. This convenience for providers can mean quick relief for patients.
“When a post-op or cancer patient is in pain on a weekend, or a sickle cell patient needs more medication during a crisis, waiting isn’t an option,” said Dr. Banas.
As patients become accustomed to quick service in nearly every other area of their lives, they are demanding a consumer-like experience in healthcare as well. A recent survey from DrFirst reveals that 72% of Americans want their doctor to use a mobile e-prescribing tool when away from the office.
“The pandemic has accelerated a significant shift in the way providers are caring for their patients, especially as both groups may be working from home and using telehealth,” says Dr. Banas. “Mobile e-prescribing can be used from home or anywhere and is helping us get to a prescribing paradigm where paper, phone calls, and faxes are a thing of the past.”
See how iPrescribe can help your practice make care more convenient both during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.