Analysis of medication therapy discontinuation orders in new electronic prescriptions and opportunities for implementing CancelRx.

Many ambulatory electronic health records cannot communicate to pharmacies that medications should be discontinued. In a nationally representative sample, nearly 1% of new prescriptions had discontinuation instructions for other prescriptions embedded within them, a workaround that creates inefficiencies and new safety hazards. A recent interview with Michael Cohen, President of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, discussed this and other safety concerns that community pharmacies face.