In recent years, hospitals, physicians and pharmacies across the country have been installing new software programs that enable electronic prescriptions. The software virtually eliminates the need for hand-written or hand-carried prescriptions from the doctor's office or hospitals.

Skip Reeves, assistant administrator of operations at Banner Churchill Community Hospital, said BCCH and its physician clinics are preparing to go online with this type of software within the year.

"Patient information software is currently being launched this week," he said. "The next step is electronic medical records, then electronic prescriptions."

Once other software and information is uploaded, the use of prescription medications though electronic transfer can be utilized safely, he said. The system will be a benefit to patients as well as medical personnel.

"This is an extensive process and should not be rushed into lightly," he said. "Patient records need to be accurate in the system, including contraindications and allergies, before using the new technology."

A contraindication is when symptoms or circumstances indicate a treatment to be inappropriate when typically this treatment would be used, according to Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.

According to a January press release from Sierra Health Services of Las Vegas, 1.5 million injuries and 7,000 deaths occur annually in the United States from medication errors.

"It is time for American medicine to take a leap forward in patient safety," states Craig Morrow, medical director for Sierra Health Services, in a press release. "Sierra is fully committed to reducing drug errors."

Sierra Health Services has been utilizing electronic prescription software since 2004, he said.

The need to eliminate injuries and deaths from illegible or inaccurately filled prescriptions is paramount, said Reeves. The new system will help prevent those types of injuries.

The software will greatly reduce the inaccuracies found through illegible handwriting or lack of proper patient history, said Grant Moulton, owner of Fallon Family Drug.

"We upgraded our systems about six months ago to accept electronic prescriptions," he said. "It is a less-extensive process for a pharmacy to come online than the hospitals and physicians,"

Dennis Gailey, owner of The Medicine Shoppe, said his pharmacy is close to being ready to receive electronic prescriptions. The new method will reduce injuries because of the clarity and accuracy.

"It certainly will cut down on abuse," he said. "That's probably the biggest benefit."

Robert Long, pharmacy director for BCCH, said the program will take all the guesswork out of prescription reading.

"I believe it's going to help streamline patient safety issues," he said. "It's quite the undertaking."