Disaster time prescription records

ICERx.org (In Case of Emergency Prescription Database), an online resource that provides licensed prescribers and pharmacists caring for disaster victims with secure access to a patient’s comprehensive medication history, has just been lanunched. ICERx.org (www.icerx.org) is a public service initiative created by AMA, Informed Decisions, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), RxHub and SureScripts, as well as state Medicaid and other government agencies.

Through ICERx.org, authorized physicians and pharmacists who are assisting disaster-affected individuals can obtain the medication records of evacuees. The prescription history information is pooled from a variety of sources participating in ICERx.org, including the nation’s community pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers and state Medicaid programs.

This is an excellent use of healthcare IT and is a step forward in my own call for a Disaster-time Health Record (DHR).