Health and Community Services
May 26, 2010
Community Pharmacies to be Linked with Launch of
Provincial Pharmacy Network
Newfoundland and Labrador has officially begun connecting community
pharmacies to the provincial Pharmacy Network, the Honourable Jerome
Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services announced today.
Minister Kennedy was joined by Mike Barron, CEO of the Centre for Health
Information; Don Rowe, Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board; Don
Sweete, Canada Health Infoway's Executive Regional Director for the
East; and, Paul LePage, Vice President and General Manager of Healthcare
Delivery Solutions, TELUS. The Pharmacy Network is a provincial drug
information system that contains a record of patient medication
information and comprehensive drug information which will assist
pharmacists in identifying potential adverse drug interactions.
"The provincial Pharmacy Network is a true testament of our
government's commitment to providing timely access to quality health
care for the residents of our province, regardless of their location,"
said Minister Kennedy. "This is one of the largest and most complex
information technology projects undertaken by our province and will make
our health care system better, safer and more efficient."
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 network will provide pharmacists, and
eventually physicians and other authorized health professionals, with
medication information when and where it is needed by connecting them to
comprehensive 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. Barron.
"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."
The Pharmacy Network is a secure system designed to protect the
confidentiality of patient information, which is transferred over secure
networks. Access to the Pharmacy Network is limited to authorized health
care professionals who prescribe, dispense, update and view medications
and/or who support system operations.
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. Having this information available in
the provincial EHR provides a more complete picture for health
professionals making decisions about patient care. After community
pharmacies, the next step is connecting facilities in the four Regional
Health Authorities to the Pharmacy Network.
"The inauguration of the Pharmacy Network marks a significant
milestone in the province," said Mr. Rowe. "Pharmacists have recognized
from the outset the great value that linking all pharmacy computers
could bring and the ways it could help us to provide better
pharmaceutical care to our patients."
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 (Infoway), and the Regional Health
Authorities, along with many supporting stakeholders. The
Provincial Government and Infoway have committed $8.6 million and
$17.9 million respectively in Pharmacy Network development and
implementation to date. The Provincial Government will fund the ongoing
operation of the Pharmacy Network.
Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization
funded by the federal government.
"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."
TELUS worked in partnership with the Centre for Health Information to
build the drug information system that is a foundation for the Pharmacy
Network.
"TELUS congratulates the centre and the province for leadership and
vision in implementing a province-wide drug information system that
integrates all functionality required to benefit both citizens and the
healthcare system," said Mr. Lepage. "At TELUS, we believe that
connecting the care continuum is paramount to transforming the way
information is used in healthcare and the Pharmacy Network is an
excellent example of this."
Video of Minister's News
Conference (wmv format)
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