E-prescribing typically refers to a process that is not yet in place, or is just beginning to take hold. E-prescribing allows a physician to write a prescription that is electronically transmitted to a pharmacy in such a way that the data goes directly into the pharmacy's computer system. This means that there is no re-entry of data at the pharmacy end. This saves time and leaves much less room for human error.
Fax-prescribing is widely used today. While each state may have different laws about how faxed prescriptions are handled, most allow a physicians office to fax a prescription. This is not typically considered "e-prescribing."
There are services available on the internet where you can send the prescription electronically to the service, who then transmits it to a pharmacy. However, those prescriptions are still faxed to the pharmacy -- just through the service and not directly from the physician's office.
