Electronic transcribing of prescriptions, commonly termed e-prescribing, currently accounts for roughly 5-7% of physicians' prescriptions. Due to impending U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements set to be finalized and implemented by 2009, e-prescribing of prescriptions for 39 million Medicare Part D clients will be firmly established. Hundreds of thousands of physicians' offices will soon need to be electronically equipped to transfer prescriptions, which result in a major shift in how prescriptions are transmitted from physicians' offices to pharmacies. The information you need is in this book. e-Prescribing: The Electronic Transformation of Medicine will help health professionals adapt to and prepare for changes in electronic medical records and health information technology. It provides a thorough summary of the key issues surrounding electronic prescribing in the U.S. by explaining the limits, cautions, and analyses necessary for successful implementation and patient satisfaction. The benefits and disadvantages of e-prescribing are presented, and the influence of e-prescribing on patients, pharmacists and physicians is detailed. This book also discusses the future of e-prescribing, focusing on how it will impact the health industry professionally and economically. Current systems for implementing e-prescribing are explored, as are the current software and hardware requirements, the global implementation of e-prescribing, and the components which could expedite the use of e-prescribing in the U.S. A unique and instructional reference on electronic prescribing from A to Z, e-Prescribing: The Electronic Transformation of Medicine, also includes a glossary of terms and a complete listing of current and planned e-prescribing companies, technologies, and systems.