Electronic Prescribing in BC: The Past, The Present, and The Future

February 19, 2015Quality Forum 2015

Sorin Pop, BC Ministry of Health

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Overview

• PharmaNet – A Brief History• Electronic Prescribing in PharmaNet • What do we mean by electronic prescribing• Vision• Roadmap• Achievements• Short term plans

• What the Future May Look Like

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History of PharmaNet

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What Is PharmaNet

• Started in 1995 as a network that links all BC community pharmacies to a central set of data systems

• Original scope• Support community pharmacies in dispensing Rx• Provide a means to adjudicate claims electronically

• Provincial expansion• 1999: Emergency Department• 2005: Medical practice• 2007: Hospital

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Who Is Accessing PharmaNet

• Community pharmacists

• Community physicians

• Practitioners in Health Authorities

• Professional Colleges

• Researchers

• Patients (via College of Pharmacists BC)

• Others, under authority of physicians / pharmacists

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How Big Is PharmaNet (2014)

• Recorded more than 69 million dispenses

• Identified 457,000 most serious interactions

• 1,250 community pharmacies

• 100 Emergency Departments

• 290 Hospitals

• 2,100 community physician offices

• $1 billion in payments

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Electronic Prescribing in BC

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Increased Safety

Improved Health

Outcomes

Increased Productivity

Efficiency

Reduced Cost

Comprehensive Information

Electronic Prescribing, What Is It

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Vision for BC

Every prescription dispensed in a community pharmacy is an

electronic prescription.

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Roadmap

• Engagements with business and clinical stakeholders

• Upgrade PharmaNet to support electronic prescribing

• Upgrade PharmaNet’s capacity

• Pilot functionality

• Provincial rollout to community practitioners

• Provincial rollout to Health Authorities

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Progress To Date

• Enhancements and upgrades to PharmaNet

• Medical office (EMR) and Pharmacy pilots

• Project Governance

• Initiated Stakeholder engagements

• Revised PharmaNet Conformance Standards

• Planned new round of EMR pilots

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Short Term Plans

• Publish revisions to Conformance Standards

• EMR pilots with Early Adopter vendor / users

• Consult / Update stakeholders on progress

• Finalize plan for the roll out

• Commence vendor certification process

• Work with Health Authorities on Medication Reconciliation

and info exchange at discharge of patients

• Accountable access to PharmaNet for all users12

The Future of Electronic Prescribing in BC

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Where Next?

• Complete community and health authority work

• Advance to higher stage of functionality

• Continuous improvement process

• Interoperability

• Your suggestions and thoughts

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Thank you

Contact:e. sorin.pop@gov.bc.cat. 250-952-2288

Alternatively:Paul Squirese. paul.squires@gov.bc.cat. 250-356-2592

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