2011 Prescription Index from the Practice Fusion Research Division

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Practice Fusion's Research Division released today the second annual Prescription Index of the 20 most commonly prescribed medications by specialty among physicians using the company's Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Topping the list are prescriptions for blood pressure (Lisinopril, Family Practice), cholesterol (Simvastatin, Internal Medicine), infection (Amoxicillin, Pediatrics) and depression (Trazodone, Psychiatry). Since the release of its first Prescription Index in July 2010, Practice Fusion's user community has more than doubled in size and now serves over 18 million patients nationwide.

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Key changes in comparison with the 2010 Prescription Index:

• Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco) has dropped out of the top 20 for 2011 Family Practice and Internal Medicine.
• There is increased use of Tramadol (Ultram) for pain. Reduced addictive potential and generic availability may be correlated with this trend.
• There is an increased use of Azithromycin (Zithromax) as an antibiotic for all specialties. Short course of dosing and generic availability may be correlated with this trend.
• Among psychiatrists, there is a move away from Prozac and toward other SSRIs.

The Prescription Index is an annual report on prescription trends from Practice Fusion's Research Division. Top five prescriptions per specialty in 2010 and 2011 are listed below and the complete lists of top 20 prescriptions per specialty are available at Practice Fusion's Research Center.

"Practice Fusion's nationally representative dataset is just beginning to unlock new insights in the healthcare sector," said Dr. Robert Rowley, Chief Medical Officer at Practice Fusion. "Data such as the Prescription Index can help to inform decisions on managing chronic disease, which currently accounts for $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare. Increasing the safety and efficacy of healthcare is a passion we share with our doctors."

All research information utilized by Practice Fusion is fully de-identified and compliant with HIPAA cfr 164.514. Both electronic and printed prescriptions were included in the Prescription Index calculations. More information can be found at www.practicefusion.com/research.

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to physicians. With charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, billing, lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion's EMR addresses the complex needs of today's healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing EMR community in the country with more than 100,000 users serving 18 million patients. The company closed a $23 million Series B round of financing led by Founders Fund in April 2011. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit practicefusion.com.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Robert Rowley, MD
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=93796

Contact:
Helen Phung
San Francisco: 415.992.7726
[email protected]

SOURCE Practice Fusion