Adopting electronic prescribing by pharmacists

Introduction

In the era of electronic health records, incorporating electronic prescribing is imperative to improve healthcare quality and safeguard patient well-being. Therefore, it becomes essential to recognize the influential elements that drive the adoption of e-prescribing. Despite the numerous advantages of electronic prescribing, there is a lack of acceptance and resistance from health care providers and users, creating barriers to its implementation. This research aimed to identify the key factors that influence pharmacists in adopting electronic prescribing (e-prescribing).

Method

In this descriptive-analytical study, a total of 196 pharmacists were chosen through random selection. The study evaluated the pharmacists’ inclinations towards embracing e-prescribing in health services by employing the conceptual path model that combines the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) with The Task-Technology Fit (TTF).

Results

The findings demonstrated that the integration of UTAUT and TTF effectively explained pharmacists’ intention to adopt e-prescribing. Specifically, task characteristics, performance expectancy, and facilitating conditions exhibited a direct and substantial impact on the adoption of e-prescribing. However, the influence of task-technology fit, social influences, and effort expectancy on prescribing adoption was not reported.

Conclusion

In this research, a conceptual path model was introduced to comprehend the factors that influence pharmacists’ acceptance of e-prescribing. By conducting this study, essential elements that determine the adoption of e-prescribing in health services were identified. The study’s results provide valuable knowledge for practitioners, policymakers, and the ministry of health, assisting them in effectively designing and implementing e-prescribing initiatives.