Which tool is described as a health information technology that helps maintain the record of medication prescribed for a patient?

• A. Personal health record (PHR)
• B. Electronic health record (EHR)
• C. Computerized physician order entry (CPOE)
• D. Electronic medical record (EMR)

Answer: (C)

Computerized physician order entry is the health information technology that lets clinicians place medication orders directly into an electronic system, creating a clear, legible record of what was prescribed. It not only stores the order in the patient’s chart but also supports safety checks—such as allergies, potential drug interactions, and appropriate dosing—to help prevent errors. This makes the medication list part of the official, degrees-of-safety-checked record in the patient’s electronic file and streamlines communication with the pharmacy.

While other tools may hold medication information (a patient-managed personal health record, a single-organization electronic medical record, or a broader electronic health record across settings), the key feature described here is the entry and maintenance of prescribing orders within an electronic system that enforces safety checks and ensures legibility and traceability of what was prescribed.