E-prescribing has shown remarkable gains since 2008, according to a study conducted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

Looking at data from Surescripts, an e-prescribing network, providers e-prescribing through an EHR has jumped from 7 percent in December 2008 to 54 percent in December 2012. Also, the study found:

• The number of pharmacies actively e-prescribing has increased from 70 percent in December 2008 to 94 percent in December 2012

• No significant differences currently exist among provider or pharmacy adoption in rural and urban areas, which is 93 and 94 percent, respectively

“E-prescribing is proving its potential to create a gateway to the improved patient care that health IT promises,” wrote lead authors Meghan Gabriel, PhD, and Michael Furukawa, ONC’s director of the office of economic analysis.

In other findings, in four years the percent of retail pharmacies actively e-prescribing on the Surescripts network climbed from 43,000 to over 59,000 pharmacies—a 24 percent increase.

To view the entire study, go here.