The Consortium of Independent Physician Associations (CIPA) to Offer DrFirst Rco

Source: DrFirst, Inc.

'Photo provided by DrFirst, Inc. of Rcopia e-prescribing on a HP PocketPC handheld PDA.'

·       "Through DrFirst's unique Rcopia Insight(TM) reporting system,CIPA will beable to observe aggregate physician prescribing behaviorand to benchmarkutilization and outcomes data. Our goals for the first threeyears of theprogram are to increase patient safety, cost savings, andphysician officeefficiency. In addition, we expect to forge new contractswith majorinsurers to increase generic utilization and increase formularycomplianceresulting in higher incentive payments for our physicianmembers," saidCharles Carpenter, Consultant for CIPA.

Based on results that DrFirst has achieved with similarphysicianorganizations, CIPA anticipates 480,000 prescription changesbecause ofdrug-to-drug interaction alerts, 36,000 prescription changesbecause ofdrug allergy alerts and one to two hours per day of timesaved for eachphysician because of the automated renewal process.

"We believe MAG and CIPA are uniquely positioned to rapidlyexpand theutilization of electronic prescribing across the state ofMichigan becauseof their scope and size," said G. Cameron Deemer, Presidentof DrFirst. "Byoffering Rcopia to its member physicians, CIPA will strengthenits marketpresence and build its relationships with existing membersthroughtechnological innovation and increased profitability."

CIPA will subsidize first year costs for each physicianand pay for a PDAor comparable credit towards other hardware. After the initialyear, CIPAhas contracted with DrFirst to offer the physicians theopportunity tocontinue the program at a discounted rate.

DrFirst's flagship product, Rcopia, is the nation's leadingfull-featuredstand-alone electronic prescription management system andthe leadinge-prescribing tool in Michigan. Rcopia is easy to use, soclinicians canlearn quickly and positively impact care. CIPA providersusinge-prescribing will receive clinical alerts to patient drugallergies, druginteractions and therapeutic duplication. They can accessinsurance planeligibility and formulary, authorize renewals and refills,and easily tracka patient's medication history. Rcopia operates on multipleplatforms,including PDAs, desktop, laptop and tablet personal computers,allowingphysicians to create legible prescriptions quickly and accuratelyandremembering patients' medication dosage/interval and pharmacyof choice. Inaddition, staff efficiency can be increased through fewerphone calls andfaxes, since prescription and renewal requests are accepteddirectly fromand sent to pharmacy computer systems. All of these factorsallow Rcopia toenhance patient safety and reduce costs with the goal ofbenefitingpatients, physicians, pharmacies and health plans.

About DrFirst

DrFirst is a national provider of physician connectivityservices throughits award-winning, Surescripts GoldRx Certified Rcopia electronicprescription management system. Founded in 2000, DrFirstcreates innovativeservices targeted to physicians in both ambulatory and acutecareenvironments. DrFirst solutions are widely integrated withpracticemanagement and electronic medical records software throughits "OpenBorders" program, and the company counts among its clientbase not onlyphysician practices, but major health plans, health systems,and EMRvendors. More information about DrFirst can be found at.

About The Consortium of Independent Physician Associations(CIPA)

The primary purpose of CIPA is to serve as a vehicle forphysicians tomaintain their independent practice of medicine yet be partof a largerentity working together to engage in physician incentiveopportunities. Ourmission is to encourage improvements in the quality andefficiency of caredelivered to patients by engaging in opportunities whichrecognize andreward health care providers for performance excellence.We believe thatparticipation in programs that recognize performance excellencewithfinancial incentives can sustain and enhance the independentpractice ofmedicine. CIPA is managed by Medical Advantage Group (MAG),a managementservice organization that provides ongoing management andadministrativeservices to CIPA, as well as to individual physician organizationmembersof CIPA. More information about CIPA can be found at.

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