Home • MMIT News • MediMedia introduces InfoScan Prior Authorization Exchange at HIMSS

NEW ORLEANS, LA - February 26, 2007 - Today at the HIMSS '07 Annual Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, MediMedia announced the introduction of its InfoScan Prior Authorization Exchange™, which may help to streamline the entire medication prior authorization (PA) process. The company also called for the inclusion of PA in the e-prescribing process -- a technique called electronic prior authorization (ePA).

"We are very excited to launch this product," said Brian Bamberger, president of MediMedia Information Technologies. "InfoScan Prior Authorization Exchange streamlines the ePA process by aggregating PA criteria in one database and allowing software companies who develop e-prescribing, practice management and computerized order entry systems to pre-populate answers to common administrative questions. This way, clinicians can focus on the much smaller subset of clinical questions."

ePA and the electronic standards that support the process were studied in a series of e-prescribing pilot programs, driven by the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). The InfoScan Prior Authorization Exchange was successfully implemented in one of these programs. MediMedia is now leading the modification of ePA standards, while supporting existing e-prescribing standards in its products.

Prior authorization is the process of obtaining pre-approval from a payer for specified medications or quantities. It often involves medical necessity review against pre-established clinical criteria. The current, mostly paper-based PA process is highly inefficient and may not promote quality of care. According to the InfoScan Formulary Database™, the occurrence of PA requirements has increased seven-fold since the year 2000.

"Obtaining PA is time-consuming and inefficient for the clinician or his/her staff. It can also have serious safety implications for the patient, as the often lengthy pre-certification process can delay treatment," said Jeff Mays, technical strategist serving as the ePA product manager for MediMedia Information Technologies. "These administrative inefficiencies are a contributor to the current unsustainable costs of health care in the United States."

Efficiencies can be improved greatly through ePA. For software companies, ePA provides a more compelling value-add to its electronic point-of-care products. It directly addresses the industry need for greater efficiencies by all stake-holders in the PA process, and adds a unique dimension of clinical decision support and administrative efficiency to e-prescribing modules. In fact, ePA could serve as the catalyst to greater adoption of electronic prescribing.

For the provider, the savings and efficiency from ePA would be significant. It minimizes administrative burden and processing time, resulting in patients receiving the most appropriate therapies in a much more timely fashion. It provides advance notice of PA criteria, so the provider automatically knows whether to proceed with a PA request. It also results in fewer legibility and transcription errors.

For the payer and health plan, ePA facilitates clinically appropriate prescribing. It ensures the right drug is prescribed for the right patient with the right condition, and minimizes paperwork and callbacks to doctors associated with failure to complete forms correctly or to clarify certain answers. It also serves to better educate physicians on the pre-established clinical criteria associated with more-complex therapies.

"It is our hope that one day PA can be evaluated electronically and instantly at the point of care, and InfoScan Prior Authorization Exchange is designed to meet that challenge," said Bamberger. "This will ensure the patient receives appropriate medications quickly, will reduce prescriber effort in resolving PA and will minimize payer effort to process PAs. We see a day where ePA becomes a notification to the payer, rather than a call to action."

About MediMedia Information Technologies

MediMedia Information Technologies, a Division of MediMedia, USA, is the leading provider of plan specific formulary data available today. The InfoScan Formulary Database ™ is a comprehensive collection of over 5,000 plan and organization specific formularies, including all State Medicaid and Medicare Part D formularies.

For additional information please contact Sandy White, VP Sales, at 1-877-890-7523 or sandra_white@MediMedia.com. Please visit our Website for a complete overview of MediMedia Information Technologies at www.mminfotech.com.

About MediMedia USA, Inc.

Headquartered in Chatham, NJ, with 1,400 employees in offices throughout the U.S., MediMedia's products and services include integrated and comprehensive health management programs, patient education content, and applications purchased by healthcare stakeholders: physicians, patients, employers, hospitals, health plans and pharmaceutical companies. MediMedia's pharmaceutical marketing group provides solutions for pharmaceutical companies along their entire marketing continuum, targeting physicians and patients with superior content and applications. MediMedia's experience in delivering specialized information to targeted audiences, has earned MediMedia unparalleled trust and respect throughout the industry. For more information, please visit www.MediMedia.com.