In September 2005, hundreds of thousands of residents of areas hit by Hurricane Katrina were displaced from their homes. Many of the evacuees taking prescription medications before the storm were displaced without access to their paper medical record or recall of their current medications. In response, public and private organizations rallied together to create KatrinaHealth.org an online service to provide physicians and pharmacists who were treating Hurricane Katrina evacuees with access to the evacuees’ prescription drug and dosage information, so that medications could be renewed, additional medications could be safely prescribed and potential medication errors avoided.
We all hope that we never again have to respond to another Katrina-like situation, but it is incumbent on the healthcare community to prepare for the eventuality, thus the creation of ICERx.org.
What is ICERX.org?
ICERx.org (In Case of Emergency Prescription Database) is a public-service online resource developed by the healthcare industry to help ensure continuity of quality care for the victims of future disasters. Once authenticated, licensed prescribers and pharmacists caring for patients in an emergency situation will able to securely access a patient’s medication history by logging onto www.ICERx.org . ICERX.org also provides caregivers with drug reference information and valuable clinical decision support tools such as therapeutic duplication and interaction alerts.
ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. A simple but potentially lifesaving idea that was first conceived by a paramedic after the London terrorist bombings in July 2005 where 56 people were killed and hundreds injured. Mobile phone users are urged to place an ICE entry in their phone that identifies a family member, next of kin, and/or friend that should be contacted in case of emergency and who can also provide important medical history. The concept behind the idea is to assist first responders (fireman, paramedics, police officers) in identifying the victim and contacting the appropriate person to provide vital medical information about the victim. In the interest of promoting disaster preparedness for healthcare professionals in line with the ICE effort for individual preparedness, the public service website has been named ICERX.org.
Who can access ICERX.org?
Licensed healthcare providers, such as physicians and pharmacists, are eligible for access but they must register first. Registration can be done at any time, but it is strongly encouraged that it be done proactively before an emergency. The American Medical Association and SureScripts will assist with verifying the identities (i.e., “authenticating”) of licensed prescribers and pharmacists, respectively. Informed Decisions, LLC is responsible for approval and designation of organizations as official authentication authorities in the ICERx network.
Who provides ICERX.org?
ICERx.org is a collaborative, public-service initiative made possible by the nation’s community pharmacies, SureScripts, Informed Decisions and the American Medical Association (AMA) working in concert with government agencies.
How are data made available?
Outpatient prescription histories will be made available by pooling information from the nation’s community pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, and state Medicaid programs participating in ICERx.org. Informed Decisions will provide online services and will approve and designate organizations as official authentication authorities for ICERx.org. Data will be made available only to licensed healthcare professionals who have registered on ICERX. org. The American Medical Association and SureScripts will assist with verifying the identities of licensed prescribers and pharmacists, respectively. All communications within ICERx.org are HIPAA compliant and transmitted via secure networks. Medication identification and clinical support tools will be provided by Gold Standard’s best-in-class product, Clinical Pharmacology®.
What data are available?
- Evacuee outpatient prescription history
• drug name and dosage
• quantity and day supply
• name of pharmacy that filled the script
• name of provider who wrote the script - Available patient clinical alerts
• drug interaction alerts
• therapeutic duplication alerts
• elderly alerts - Clinical Pharmacology® drug reference information
• drug monographs
• interaction reports
• drug identifier tool
How do I access ICERX.org?
During periods of emergency, licensed healthcare professionals who have registered on ICERx.org can access the online prescription database by going to www.ICERx.org and entering the username and password obtained during the registration process. For information on how to register, visit ICERX.org, or call our toll-free registration and information hotline at 1-888.ICERX.50 (1-888-423-7950)
