Alaska has become the fiftieth and final state to pass changes to its laws and regulations to allow for electronic prescribing, or "e-prescribing." The law allows physicians and pharmacists in the state of Alaska to exchange prescription information electronically and follows on the heels of similar announcements over the past year by Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.

The news marks a major milestone for the United States healthcare system and its efforts to transform how patients receive prescription drugs — from a process reliant on handwritten prescriptions, phone calls and fax machines to safer, more efficient electronic prescribing, said Alexandria, Va.-based e-prescribing system developer SureScripts.

According to Bruce Roberts, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) executive vice president and CEO, the ability for pharmacists and physicians to communicate electronically throughout the U.S. means enhanced safety and efficiency for everyone.