What Drives EHR Innovation in Prescription Management and How Technology Can Help – Healthcare IT Today

Report on DrFirst’s Role in Modernizing Medication Management and Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An analysis of the operational model of DrFirst, a medication management technology company, reveals significant contributions to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). By streamlining the complex electronic prescribing process, the company enhances patient access to medication, fosters innovation within the healthcare technology sector, and exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership model.

Modern Healthcare Challenges and DrFirst’s Strategic Response

According to company leadership, Dr. Colin Banas and Drew Hunsinger, the contemporary medication prescribing landscape is defined by two primary drivers of change:

• Regulatory Complexity: Frequent regulatory updates create a challenging environment for healthcare providers and technology vendors.
• Patient Expectations: Patients increasingly expect a seamless, digital experience for healthcare services, including obtaining prescriptions, mirroring the convenience of other consumer industries.

DrFirst addresses these challenges by providing a comprehensive, end-to-end platform that manages the entire medication journey for all stakeholders, including patients, providers, payers, and pharmacies.

Contribution to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The company’s core mission directly aligns with ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. Its platform contributes specifically to Target 3.8, which aims for universal access to quality essential medicines.

1. Ensuring Timely Access to Medication: By managing logistical details such as pharmacy availability and prior authorization requirements, DrFirst ensures that prescription orders are processed successfully on the first attempt. This minimizes delays and helps patients receive their essential medications promptly.
2. Improving Health System Efficiency: The platform reduces the administrative burden on healthcare staff, allowing them to focus on patient care. This optimization of the health workforce contributes to a more effective healthcare delivery system.

Advancements in SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

DrFirst’s model serves as an example of technological upgrading and innovation within the healthcare industry.

• Specialized Technological Infrastructure: The company provides a robust, specialized infrastructure focused solely on medication management, a critical component of modern healthcare.
• Catalyst for Broader Innovation: By offloading the complexities of medication management, DrFirst enables its Electronic Health Record (EHR) partners to dedicate their resources to other areas of EHR innovation, fostering a more dynamic and innovative health IT ecosystem.

Fostering SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The success of the DrFirst platform is contingent upon a complex, multi-stakeholder partnership model, reflecting the principles of SDG 17.

• The prescribing workflow managed by the company inherently involves close collaboration between:

1. Healthcare Providers
2. Payers and Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers (PBMs)
3. Pharmacies
4. Pharmaceutical Companies
5. EHR Vendors

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article discusses issues related to healthcare technology and medication management, which connect to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

     The core focus of the article is on improving the process of prescribing and obtaining medication. By creating a system that “ensures that the patient gets their medication in a timely manner,” the company DrFirst directly contributes to better health outcomes and patient well-being. Simplifying the complex medication journey for patients, providers, and pharmacies supports the overall goal of a healthier society.

   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

     The article highlights innovation within the healthcare industry. DrFirst is presented as a technology company that modernizes the “shockingly complex” era of prescribing. By developing and implementing innovative solutions that EHR companies can “offload” to, DrFirst is upgrading the technological infrastructure of the healthcare sector, making it more efficient and resilient.

   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

     The article emphasizes a multi-stakeholder approach. DrFirst’s goal is to provide “an end-to-end medication journey: for patients, providers, payers, and pharmacies.” It also mentions that the “prescribing workflow involves payers, PBMs, and even drug companies” and that they work with many “EHR companies.” This collaborative model, which brings together various private sector entities to solve a systemic problem, exemplifies the partnerships crucial for achieving sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the article’s content, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

   • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines for all.

     The article’s focus on ensuring an “order goes through successfully the first time” and that the “patient gets their medication in a timely manner” directly relates to improving access to essential medicines, which is a key component of this target.

   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… encouraging innovation.

     DrFirst’s business model, which involves continuous innovation in medication management and allows EHR vendors to “benefit from the innovations that DrFirst continues to implement,” directly aligns with the goal of upgrading the technological capabilities of the healthcare industry through private sector innovation.

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

     The article describes a complex network of partnerships between DrFirst and various stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem, including “providers, payers, pharmacies,” “PBMs,” “drug companies,” and “EHR companies.” This network is a clear example of a private-private partnership aimed at improving a critical service, reflecting the spirit of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   While the article does not provide specific quantitative data, it implies several indicators that could be used to measure progress:

   • Indicators for Target 3.8:

     The article implies that progress can be measured by the efficiency and success of the prescription process. Implied indicators include:

     • The rate of successful first-time prescription fulfillments, as suggested by the goal to make an “order go through successfully the first time.”
     • Reduction in patient wait times for medication, based on the objective to ensure “the patient gets their medication in a timely manner.”
     • Reduction in staff time spent on resolving prescription issues, as the service “save[s] staff time.”

   • Indicators for Target 9.5:

     Progress towards technological upgrading and innovation can be measured by the adoption of DrFirst’s specialized services. An implied indicator is:

     • The number of EHR companies that “offload all these medication management complexities to DrFirst,” which signifies the adoption of an innovative solution within the industry.

   • Indicators for Target 17.17:

     The strength and breadth of the partnerships can be used as an indicator. An implied indicator is:

     • The number and diversity of stakeholders (providers, payers, PBMs, pharmacies, EHR vendors) integrated into the DrFirst platform, demonstrating a functioning multi-stakeholder partnership.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Implied from the Article)
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines for all.	Rate of successful first-time prescription orders. Reduction in time for patients to receive medication. Amount of staff time saved on medication management tasks.
   SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure	Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation.	Number of EHR companies adopting DrFirst’s specialized medication management platform.
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.	Number and diversity of stakeholders (providers, payers, pharmacies, PBMs, EHR companies) collaborating within the medication management ecosystem.

Source: healthcareittoday.com