Epocrates
Rx ®
As a service to providers to promote quality and safety with
medication use, HealthPlus has partnered with Epocrates, a software
vendor who integrates clinical drug information with drug formulary
information.
The basic Epocrates Rx® product
for a hand-held device (PDA) is FREE, and includes more than
3,300 drug monographs, formulary information, multi-check
for drug interactions, Auto Update and DocAlert® messages. However,
if you prefer, Epocrates also offers expanded products for
a small fee. See www.epocrates.com for
details.
The Epocrates Rx software is designed to:
- Help manage rising drug costs through increased utilization
of generics and formulary compliance. You may view alternatives
and substitutions with a tap of your stylus .
- Provide drug monographs and up-to-date formulary information
at the point of care.
- Provide access to drug information for more than 3,300 brand
and generic drugs, including indications, mechanism of action,
on- and off-label dosing, adverse reactions, contraindications,
drug interactions, pricing and more.
- Save time associated with pharmacy-related administrative
tasks (e.g., phone calls to pharmacies or health plans about
prior authorization medications).
- Improve the safety of prescribing through the use of a
multiple-drug interaction checker (you may check interactions
for up to 30 concomitant medications).
- Improve patient satisfaction by providing updated formulary,
drug, prescribing and health plan recommendations at your
fingertips.
- Provide DocAlert messaging to keep you up to date on relevant,
timely clinical and specialty news.
- The Epocrates Rx software also provides a MedMath medical
calculator (for Body Mass Index, Creatinine Clearance, etc.).
The drug information and health plan formulary information
in Epocrates is continually updated and expanded. Drug monographs
contain the following information:
- Adult and pediatric dosing
- Adverse reactions, drug interactions
- Contraindications
- Indications
- Mechanism of action
- Pricing and packaging
You can download health plan formularies onto your PDA. All
of the HealthPlus formularies are available through Epocrates:
- HealthPlus Commercial/Medicare Drug Formulary
- HealthPlus Partners (Medicaid) Drug Formulary
- HealthPlus County Health Plan Drug Formulary
The following formulary status codes (and
others) are available to provide detailed drug information in
Epocrates. Be sure to tap on the formulary status code to get
detailed information and to link to alternatives.
Y: Yes-On formulary
N: Non-formulary (tap screen for alternatives)
G: Generic preferred-this means that this
product is available as a generic and will be dispensed generically
at the pharmacy (brand requires prior authorization)
PA: Prior Authorization required (usually
includes prior authorization criteria)
NC: Not covered (usually includes an explanation)
To Download Epocrates Rx for Free
Device Compatibility - to meet the technical requirements
of Epocrates Rx, you will need at least:
- Palm OS 3.5 or higher with 3MB available memory using Palm
Desktop 3.1 or higher (additional memory required for formularies
and MedTools)
- Microsoft Pocket PC 2002/2003 with 2.8MB available memory
using active sync 3.5 or higher (additional memory required
for formularies and MedTools)
- Win 98/2000/ME/XP with internet access (if you use a MAC,
you will need to purchase the premium version, Epocrates Rx
Pro™)
To download the free Epocrates Rx software:
- Go to www.epocrates.com
- Click on Epocrates Rx Free
- Click on the download button under “Get Epocrates
Rx (FREE)”
- Complete the Handheld Device and Computer Type; then click
Check Out
- New users must register. If you are already a registered
user, enter your information.
- Prior to your software download, you will be given
the opportunity to add some Epocrates MedTools for free.
Make sure you have the memory available for these added
features. Check the MedTools you want.
How to add HealthPlus formularies after you have downloaded
the free Epocrates Rx software:
- Click on My Account (top right hand corner)
- Click on the Formulary Profile (Handheld) link under the
Additional Profile Information Section
- From the drop-down menus,
- Select Michigan, then
- Select Health Plans, and then
- Select the formularies you use most often (all three HealthPlus
formularies are available on Epocrates); click on “Add
to List” and “done” when complete
- Hot sync for formularies to appear in your PDA
- Hot sync weekly to receive updates to Epocrates drug monographs,
and updates to HealthPlus formularies (updated quarterly).
Updates are FREE.
For technical assistance, please contact Epocrates:
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