From The Pharmaceutical Journal
http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20040124/news/news_shipmaninquiry.html
"The British Columbia approach
The Shipman Inquiry heard evidence about two systems used to monitor CDs in British Columbia, Canada, from Brian Taylor,
deputy registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia:
. PharmaNet This is a secure computer network linking all pharmacies, hospitals and some GPs throughout British Columbia (it
is being expanded to other GPs). It is used for monitoring all prescription drugs. The patient is given a paper prescription
to take to a pharmacy. The pharmacist then enters the prescription data into the PharmaNet system. This information is
immediately available on the system for other health care providers to see. PharmaNet provides pharmacists with a current and
past medication history: this comes up automatically when a pharmacist enters the details on a prescription. Pharmacists are
required to review this database at the time of dispensing. Alerts can also be added - against either a prescriber or
patient. Patients, pharmacists and doctors all have unique identifying numbers used in the system. Health care professionals
are only allowed to access PharmaNet for direct patient care; browsing is not permitted. Every time the system is accessed,
the person accessing the record is electronically logged. PharmaNet was introduced by a collaboration of the Ministry of
Health, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the College of Pharmacists. The software for pharmacists was funded by
the government and pharmacists are paid a higher dispensing fee for entering data on PharmaNet. "
Jeff
|