Loading organizations...
Key people at Surescripts.
Surescripts operates a national health information network, enabling the secure electronic exchange of patient health information, primarily for prescriptions. The company builds infrastructure connecting pharmacies, providers, and health systems, transforming data into actionable intelligence. This facilitates efficient and safer prescribing, improving medication adherence and enhancing interoperability across the healthcare ecosystem.
Surescripts was founded in 2001 as a collaborative industry effort, spearheaded by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). Their collective insight identified the critical need for a common network to enable electronic prescribing, reducing medication errors and streamlining prescriber-pharmacist communication.
The network serves a broad base of healthcare participants, including most pharmacies, prescribers, and health plans nationwide. Surescripts' vision is to advance healthcare connectivity by continually expanding its network capabilities and data services. It aims to empower healthcare professionals with comprehensive patient information at the point of care, fostering a connected, patient-centric future.
Surescripts is the nation's leading health information network, specializing in simpler, trusted health intelligence sharing to increase patient safety, lower costs, and ensure quality care across the U.S. healthcare ecosystem.[1][2][4] It powers 2.6 billion e-prescriptions filled in 2024 and supports prescribers, pharmacies, payers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), electronic health record (EHR) vendors, and life sciences companies by enabling secure data exchange for intelligent prescribing, interoperability, prior authorization, and benefit intelligence.[3][4][5] Core products include E-Prescribing, Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances, Medication History, Record Locator & Exchange, and innovations like Sig IQ for structured prescription directions and Touchless Prior Authorization.[1][3][4]
The company solves critical healthcare challenges by replacing manual processes like faxes and phone calls with automated, standardized electronic workflows, reducing errors, fraud risks, and delays while providing real-time clinical and benefit insights.[3][6] This drives efficiency for providers, better adherence for patients, and cost savings through tools like Real-Time Prescription Benefit checks and First-Fill Abandonment insights, connecting 1.78 million professionals and 314 million patients as of recent milestones.[4][5]
Surescripts emerged over two decades ago from intense cross-industry collaboration among pharmacies, payers, and prescribers to pioneer e-prescribing nationwide, turning fragmented data into actionable intelligence.[2][4] Founded around 2001, it led the shift from paper prescriptions to electronic ones, building the Surescripts Network Alliance that now unites nearly all EHR vendors, PBMs, and other stakeholders.[5][9] Key milestones include legalizing E-Prescribing of Controlled Substances in all 50 states by 2015, launching Medication History for Populations and nationwide Record Locator & Exchange in 2016, developing Surescripts Sentinel for e-prescription accuracy tracking and Real-Time Prescription Benefit in 2017, and recent expansions like Sig IQ in 2022.[1][2]
This evolution reflects Surescripts' DNA of network-building and systemic innovation, starting with basic e-prescribing and expanding to comprehensive interoperability amid evolving care delivery needs.[2][3]
Surescripts rides the wave of healthcare interoperability and digital transformation, addressing urgent needs for data sharing amid rising value-based care, prior authorization burdens, and medication adherence gaps.[3][4] Its timing aligns with federal pushes for electronic prescribing (e.g., controlled substances nationwide by 2015) and post-pandemic demands for frictionless workflows, enabling 2.6 billion e-prescriptions annually in a fragmented U.S. system.[2][3] Market forces like escalating costs, clinician burnout, and payer-provider pressures favor its model, as it turns raw data into clinical/benefit intelligence across the patient journey—from prescribing to care transitions.[4][7]
By convening the ecosystem via its Network Alliance, Surescripts influences standards for secure, scalable health tech, fostering innovations like AI-driven Sig structuring and touchless PA that ripple to EHRs, PBMs, and pharmacies, ultimately advancing nationwide patient-centered care.[1][9]
Surescripts is poised to dominate as the backbone of U.S. prescribing intelligence, expanding tools like First-Fill Abandonment solutions and Electronic Benefit Verification to boost adherence and access in value-based models.[4][7] Trends in AI automation, real-time data mandates, and care team evolution (e.g., retail clinics) will amplify its network effects, potentially handling even higher volumes amid aging populations and chronic disease rises. Its influence may grow through deeper life sciences integrations and interoperability standards, solidifying its role in safer, cost-effective care from the first e-prescription onward.[1][3]
Key people at Surescripts.
