E-Prescribing is a main focus for HIT goals in Congress. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) have proposed mandating e-Rx by 2010 with 10% Medicare payment penalties for non-compliers, and with $2,000 bonus payments in 2009 for those who jump on.

I spoke this week at a Brookings symposium on e-Rx, supporting moving forward (without penalties), and recognizing that we will save lives, improve patient safety and even reduce costs once we get this moving. It is the right thing to do. Forty thousand of the nation’s 60,000 pharmacies are receiving e-scripts now and the others are soon to get connected. AARP, Consumers’ Union, and every other consumer group want this to happen yesterday. It will happen soon, so we better get ready to accept that.