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summer 2010 |
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h e a l t h t e c h n o l o g y
Community pharmacies link up to Pharmacy Network
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Stock Photo |
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On
May 26, the Department of Health and Community Services announced that the province has
officially begun connecting community pharmacies to the provincial Pharmacy Network.
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Compiled By NLMA Staff |
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On May 26, the Department of Health
and Community Services announced that the province has officially
begun connecting community pharmacies to the provincial Pharmacy
Network.
The Pharmacy Network is a component of the
provincial electronic health record (EHR) designed to support improved
patient safety and enhanced care for patients. The provincial drug
information system contains a record of patient medication information
and comprehensive drug information.
The provincial EHR, including the Pharmacy
Network, is a collaborative initiative between the Newfoundland and
Labrador Centre for Health Information, the Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador, Canada Health Infoway, and the Regional Health
Authorities, along with many supporting stakeholders.
The Network connects pharmacists, and
eventually physicians and other authorized health professionals, with
medication information when and where it is needed by linking them to
electronic medication profiles for their patients.
“The Pharmacy Network will improve the
quality of information available to health care professionals in this
province and will help reduce medication errors and adverse drug
events,” said Mr. Mike Barron, CEO of the Centre for Health Information.
“Implementing the Pharmacy Network is a
very important milestone in developing the provincial EHR and we are
proud to be on the national forefront in this initiative.”
Implementation in more than 190 community
pharmacies province-wide will continue in a phased-in approach
throughout 2010. Once a pharmacy is connected, information about
medications held at that pharmacy will be added to the Pharmacy Network.
After community pharmacies, the next step is connecting facilities in
the four Regional Health Authorities to the Pharmacy Network.
“Drug information systems like the
Pharmacy Network are an important part of a robust electronic health
record,” said Richard Alvarez, President and CEO of Canada Health
Infoway.
“The Pharmacy Network will bring significant benefits to
Newfoundland and Labrador by helping doctors and pharmacists ensure
patients are taking their medications properly while avoiding unhealthy
drug interactions.”
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