Monthly Prescribing Reference has unveiled a redesign—its first since 2009. Tammy Chernin, VP of drug information and product development at MPR, told MM&M that one of the reasons for the revamp was that the site “was too cluttered and wasn’t as intuitive to our users as it could [be].”
Like MM&M, MPR is published by Haymarket Media.
One of the goals of the redesign was to streamline the amount of information professionals need to wade through. While the basic structure of the site is unchanged, to hit the sweet spot between maximum information and ease of access MPR changed how drug information was displayed. Now, instead of having multiple listings of the same drug, based on indication, the revised site consolidates information so that multiple search terms link to a centralized, tabbed monograph instead of having one monograph per search term. This dictionary-like function means providers will have to negotiate fewer links and makes it easier to hone in on the information they are looking for, particularly if the goal is get a full sense of a particular drug.
The consolidated approach still allows for tip-of-the-tongue research, since the site has kept drug lists that are divided by therapeutic areas, a feature Chernin said professionals told MPR they relied on when they know how they want to treat a condition, but just can’t recall the drug name.
Chernin said the refresh was also about finding ways to make MPR more than a reference, as well as helping it become a greater part of a professional’s daily workflow. To this end, the publication added a free e-prescribing service. The prescription service means that healthcare practitioners can now use MPR to look up a drug and then write a prescription for it without having to go to a third party. The prescribing tool is also linked to product resources, like coupons and patient assistance programs, and gives the estimated 45% of doctors who do not have electronic health records—which typically include e-prescribing—a free resource. Chernin said research showed they had a built-in audience for the tool: 75% of the 9,000 polled doctors said they would use it after looking up a drug on the site.
Beyond streamlining the prescribing process, using MPR to fufill prescriptions makes financial sense for physicians—Chernin cited a 2011 Congressional Budget Office report that said that it can cost $25,000 to $45,000 to set up a physician with an office-based EHR, in addition to annual maintenance fees which Chernin said can start at $3,000 per physician.
Chernin said an October soft launch has already started to build an audience, adding more than 60 prescribers who had logged in over 1,600 prescriptions by the end of November. Smartphone versions will launch next month and tablet versions will go live next year.
