While physicians are most concerned with improving the health of their patients and utilize prescribed medication to gain these means, other medical professionals are concerned with the implications of potential prescribed drug abuse. E-prescribing software is a beneficial tool to use, but when individuals abuse prescribed drugs, the healthcare industry suffers.

A new solution has been developed to counter the problems seen with prescription drug abuse. The American Medicine Chest Challenge (AMCC), a public health campaign aimed at curbing this problem, has created a new app to solve the issue. The mobile app "AMC Rx Drop" will connect pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to permanent prescription drug collection boxes meant for the accumulation of expired, unused and unwanted prescribed medication.

The Generic Pharmaceutical Association sponsored the creation of this app, which connects to a directory of local and state collection sites. As of now, the application holds information for several hundred collection sites across 41 states in the U.S. The app is available for download in Apple and Android stores, according to a press release issued by AMCC.

"GPhA [Generic Pharmaceutical Association] has been a longtime supporter of the AMCC and this new App will provide an important new tool to help us achieve our shared goal of ensuring that medications made to improve the quality of lives are not abused," Ralph G. Neas, President and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, said in the press release. "The generic pharmaceutical industry is committed to working with all stakeholders to put a stop to the problem of prescription drug diversion in the United States and help make certain that caregivers and family members are not alone in this fight."

While this new app provides a solution to the prescription drug abuse problem, healthcare professionals who implement e-prescribing software will also see the benefits of enhanced communication between medical facility and pharmacy as well as the ease for patients picking up their medication.