Healthcare Technology Featured Article

November 18, 2014

DrFirst, CoverMyMeds Offer Electronic Prior Authorization


DrFirst, a provider of healthcare IT solutions, and CoverMyMeds, a company specializing in electronic prior authorization, have announced a new partnership. The two companies will offer electronic prior authorization (ePA) within DrFirst’s medication management software.

”By integrating CoverMyMeds ePA functionality in our systems, we are solving a major pain-point for prescribers, pharmacies and payers,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “In most cases, electronic prior authorization will be completed in seconds, a fraction of the time required to process prior authorization in the traditional manner.”

The ePA functionality will be bundled into DrFirst’s Rcopia e-prescribing, RcopiaMU for Meaningful Use, and Patient Advisor medication adherence platforms. The combined solution meets the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) standards for prior authorization. It will work with any insurance company, regardless of how completely they support electronic prior authorization. The system will support up to 80 percent of pharmacies in the U.S.

Prior authorization for medication is exactly what it sounds like. Insurance companies can require authorization before covering certain medicines. They may do this for several reasons, such as brand names where generic medications are available, expensive medications, medications that are mostly cosmetic and medications that are appropriate only for certain age groups.

Doctors and insurance companies have generally handled prior authorization with paper forms, which can take time shuttling to and from doctors, insurance companies and pharmacies. Electronic authorization can make this process much faster and help patients get their medications faster.

“Our partnership with DrFirst enables thousands of prescribers with an ePA solution that is easier, more efficient, and helps patients get their needed medications faster,” said CoverMyMeds co-founder Matt Scantland. “By bringing prior authorization closer to the point-of-prescription, we’re streamlining the PA process and helping address the critical problem of patient non-adherence to medications.”

If more patients can actually get their medications, then they’ll actually take them, or “adhere” to them, in medical parlance.




Edited by Maurice Nagle
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