Iowans will no longer receive paper prescriptions from their physicians to take to pharmacies, Iowa Public Radio reported. Beginning Jan. 1, a new state law went into effect requiring all Iowa health care providers, except veterinarians, to submit prescriptions electronically. Under the new mandate, enacted by legislators in 2018, providers now send prescriptions directly to the patient’s pharmacy through a secure device and a special software program. E-prescribing has been shown to decrease prescribing and medication error and also helps to prevent opioid abuse because e-prescriptions are much less likely to be falsified, said Andrew Funk, executive director of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy.