NEW YORK – The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) is developing an e-prescribing prototype that will facilitate prescription routing for the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY).

NYeC, a public-private partnership that serves to build consensus on state health IT policy priorities and collaborate on implementation efforts, has partnered with Wayne, Pa.-based InterComponentWare and St. Paul, Minn.-based Surescripts to build the prototype.

The project will demonstrate secure and accurate transmission of prescription benefit and history information and prescription routing between electronic medical records, the Surescripts network and pharmacies and payers. It will use technical services and standards for health information exchange included in the ICW HealthCare Connector installed in each provider's practice location.

 "SHIN-NY was formed based on a statewide goal to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare for all New Yorkers," said Rachel Block, executive director of NYeC.  "Information technology is a key ingredient in achieving our goals. By partnering with ICW, a proven technology provider, and Surescripts, the nation's largest e-prescribing network, we will benefit from experience and will receive the guidance necessary for creating a fully interoperable, statewide health information network. And from here, we can address issues relative to population health management, drug efficacy, and statewide resource planning."

Officials say the prototype project is on track for general implementation in late 2009.