Free Webinar Helps Physicians and Pharmacists Learn How to ePrescribe Controlled Substances

DETROIT, Nov. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians and pharmacists in Southeast Michigan who would like to ePrescribe controlled substances (EPCS) prescriptions are getting help from a coalition of Southeast Michigan-based employers and health insurers in the form of free webinars on controlled substances ePrescribing. Some of the webinars will feature live vendor demonstrations from vendors such as DrFirst and Allscripts.

The Southeastern Michigan ePrescribing Initiative (SEMI) – a coalition of General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Group LLC, the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Health Alliance Plan, Henry Ford Medical Group, Express Scripts, CVS Caremark Corporation and Catamaran Corporation – is hosting a series of five free webinars for physicians and four for pharmacies explaining the steps required to prescribe for these scheduled medications. 

"While Michigan is among the nation's leaders in ePrescribing, we understand that many practices are struggling to implement electronic prescribing for controlled substances, and we feel it is important for patient safety and practice efficiency to fill this education gap," said Kathleen Neal, Director – Integrated Health Care and Disability for Chrysler Group LLC.  "Because of the sensitivities associated with these important medications, the steps necessary to prescribe for controlled medications are different than for more common prescriptions, even though they're using the same ePrescribing software." 

The webinar will help providers and pharmacists understand the Drug Enforcement Administration's ruling and safeguards; the benefits of EPCS; physician, pharmacist and ePrescribing vendor responsibilities and how to get started with EPCS.  According to Surescripts, more than 100 prescribers are currently capable of prescribing controlled substances in Michigan and more than 500 pharmacies are able to receive and dispense controlled substances electronically. Michigan allows ePrescribing of schedules II-V controlled substances.

In July, Michigan was recognized by Surescripts as one of the nation's leaders in ePrescribing with its Safe-Rx Awards.  Michigan is one of just three states to finish in the Safe-Rx Award Top 10 every year since Surescripts started publishing the data in 2006. 

SEMI has been actively promoting ePrescribing among physicians in Southeast Michigan since 2005.  More than 8,200 physicians are actively prescribing in the program – a 33 percent increase from 2011 – and have submitted more than 50 million electronic prescriptions since the program began in 2005. SEMI provides doctors with training and a support system to help integrate ePrescribing into their practice – two obstacles routinely cited by doctors who choose paper prescriptions over electronic prescriptions.

Register for the webinar.

About SEMI
Launched in early 2005, the Southeast Michigan ePrescribing Initiative is one of the largest ePrescribing efforts in the United States. Its primary objectives are to boost adoption and use of ePrescribing, and measure the impact of ePrescribing technology on improving patient safety and reducing prescription drug costs. For more information, go to www.semi-eprescribing.com.

About GM
General Motors Co. and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.  GM's brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 172,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

About Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Durango, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.

About the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust
The UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust (the 'Trust') is a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association established under the 2007 Settlement Agreements between the General Motors/Ford/Chrysler and the UAW.  Launched in January 2010, the Trust administers health care benefits to over 800,000 members through the operation of three separate trust funds for respective retirees of each automotive company; making it the largest non-governmental purchaser of retiree health care in the United States.

About HAP
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to more than 648,000 members and companies of all sizes. For more than 50 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to improve the health and well-being of the lives we touch. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid, Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, and personalized customer service. The National Committee for Quality Assurance awarded HAP's commercial HMO and HAP Senior Plus Excellent Accreditation.

About Henry Ford Medical Group
The Henry Ford Medical Group is one of the nation's largest group practices, with 1,200 physicians and researchers in more than 40 specialties who staff Henry Ford Hospital and 30 Henry Ford medical centers in Southeast Michigan. It is part of Henry Ford Health System (http://www.henryford.com/), one of the country's leading health care systems, that integrates primary and specialty care with research and education.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit organization, provides and administers health benefits to 4.3 million members residing in Michigan in addition to members of Michigan-headquartered groups who reside outside the state. The company offers a broad variety of plans including Community Blue, Simply Blue and Healthy Blue Incentives PPOs; Blue Care Network HMO; BCN Healthy Blue Living; Flexible Blue plans compatible with health savings accounts; Medicare Advantage; Part D Prescription Drug plans; and MyBlue products in the under-age-65 individual market. BCBSM also offers dental, vision and hearing plans. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com.

About Express Scripts
Express Scripts manages more than a billion prescriptions each year for tens of millions of people. On behalf of our clients -- employers, health plans, unions and government health programs -- we make the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable. We innovate to enhance patient care, reduce pharmacy-related waste and increase therapy adherence. Building on a strong clinical foundation, we apply our understanding of the behavioral sciences -- an approach we call Consumerology® -- to make it easier for people to choose better health.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Express Scripts provides integrated pharmacy benefit management services, including network-pharmacy claims processing, home delivery, specialty benefit management, benefit-design consultation, drug-utilization review, formulary management, and medical and drug data analysis services. The company also distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical products and provides extensive cost-management and patient-care services. For more information, visit www.Express-Scripts.com.

About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is dedicated to helping people on their path to better health as the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States. Through the company's more than 7,400 CVS/pharmacy stores; its leading pharmacy benefit manager serving more than 60 million plan members and its retail health clinic system, the largest in the nation with more than 600 MinuteClinic locations, it is a market leader in mail order, retail and specialty pharmacy, retail clinics, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. As a pharmacy innovation company with an unmatched breadth of capabilities, CVS Caremark continually strives to improve health and lower costs by developing new approaches such as its unique Pharmacy Advisor program that helps people with chronic diseases such as diabetes obtain and stay on their medications. Find more information about how CVS Caremark is reinventing pharmacy for better health at info.cvscaremark.com.

About Catamaran
Catamaran, the industry's fastest-growing pharmacy benefit manager, helps organizations and the communities they serve take control of prescription drug costs. Managing more than 200 million prescriptions each year on behalf of 25 million members, our flexible, holistic solutions improve patient care and empower individuals to take charge of their health. Processing one in every five prescription claims in the U.S., Catamaran's skill and scale deliver compelling financial results and sustainable improvement in the overall health of members. Catamaran is headquartered in Lisle, Ill. with multiple locations in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit www.catamaranRx.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Southeastern Michigan ePrescribing Initiative