Electronic health record adoption and use by Nebraska pharmacists

There is a national focus on electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchange to improve quality, efficiency, and safety across healthcare settings. The purpose of this study is to describe pharmacists' views and practices about the adoption and use of EHRs and the sharing of health information by pharmacists in the state of Nebraska. A U.S. mail survey of all pharmacists holding a Nebraska license (N = 1,953) was conducted in June-August 2008. Only 12 percent of pharmacists indicated using an EHR. Most pharmacists (63 percent) indicated that their pharmacy had no plans to adopt an EHR system, while 13 percent indicated their pharmacy planned to adopt an EHR system in the future. Only 8 percent of respondents currently had access to EHRs for their patients created by other providers. Despite a national focus on electronic health information exchange, there remains a low uptake of EHRs by pharmacists.