(Washington, DC)- With passage of the historic new law requiring electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) in Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) today applauded the Administration’s continued leadership to ensure broad physician adoption of e-prescribing in Medicare. 

As part of this effort, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are hosting a groundbreaking conference October 6 – 7, 2008 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, Boston, MA that is designed to educate and promote adoption of e-prescribing technology. 

“Everyone realizes that there are three keys in the current law that will rapidly accelerate physician adoption of e-prescribing,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt.  “These include: sufficient reimbursements for physicians; standards consistent with Part D; and securing full adoption by all eligible physicians.”

E-prescribing is successfully being used by more than 35,000 doctors nationwide.  In driving passage of the legislation, PCMA led a diverse group of consumers, employers, unions, and medical professionals that supported e-prescribing in Medicare. Supporters included among others: AARP, AFL-CIO, Consumers Union, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and AT&T.

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PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which administer prescription drug plans for more than 210 million Americans with health coverage provided through Fortune 500 employers, health insurance plans, labor unions, and Medicare Part D.