Over the last eighteen months, we’ve turned increasingly to technology to socialize, to shop, to work — and to access health care. According to a recent survey conducted for Canada Health Infoway and the Canadian Medical Association, 94 per cent of Canadian physicians are currently using virtual care, with the majority planning to continue doing so after the pandemic ends. And as virtual care use grows, e-prescribing has claimed a vital place in clinicians’ toolkits.

PrescribeIT^® is Canada’s national e-prescribing service. It integrates seamlessly between an electronic medical record (EMR) and the pharmacy management system (PMS), enabling prescribers to digitally send prescription data directly to a patient’s pharmacy of choice. In this occasional blog series, we’ll explore some of PrescribeIT’s features and functionalities in-depth. This installment explores the onboarding process for pharmacists.

PrescribeIT^® is Canada’s national e-prescribing service. It integrates seamlessly between an electronic medical record (EMR) and the pharmacy management system (PMS), enabling prescribers to digitally send prescription data directly to a patient’s pharmacy of choice. In this occasional blog series, we’ll explore some of PrescribeIT’s features and functionalities in-depth. Let’s begin by examining the onboarding process for prescribers.

March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month, a yearly national campaign to celebrate pharmacists and their contributions to Canada’s health system. This year, the Canadian Pharmacists’ Association is shifting the event’s focus from “awareness” to “appreciation,” to better reflect pharmacists’ vital role in health care.

2020 was a year of immense innovation and resilience. From new partnerships with major retailers like Rexall and Shoppers Drug Mart, to supporting the adoption of virtual care, to new educational initiatives, the importance of PrescribeIT’s role as a national e-prescribing service has never been clearer.

When you’re feeling unwell, the last thing you want is to venture out on multiple errands. As we continue to stay home and implement physical distancing measures, I’m reminded of a story a patient recently related to me.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed Canadians’ daily lives. Whether they’re staying masked or staying home, Canadians are making choices to protect their health and the health of their communities.

Have you been wondering if e-prescribing is right for you? Are you curious about the details and impact on your workflow?

With Ask a Peer, we’re connecting you with health care professionals who have already begun their e-prescribing journey. Recently, we welcomed pharmacist Andy Donald and family physician Dr. Daniel Pepe to the Digital Health InfoCast to address some of your questions about PrescribeIT^®, Canada’s national e-prescribing service. Here are some highlights from our conversation (edited for clarity and brevity):

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve brought your prescription to the pharmacy, and the pharmacist wants to ask your prescriber a question about it. Unfortunately, the fax machine isn’t cooperating, and the phone line is busy.

As the COVID-19 pandemic upends Canadians’ daily lives, a surge in opioid-related overdoses continues across Canada. Nearly 15,400 Canadians died from an opioid-related overdose between January 2016 and December 2019. While 2020 data continues to be analyzed, Ontario’s coroner reported a 25 per cent increase in the number of opioid-related deaths so far this year.

Archimedes said it best: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. For physician Dr. Jeffrey Steed, this is all too true when it comes to prescribing. Based in Coaldale, AB, his clinic was looking for more efficient ways to get prescriptions to pharmacies.

We all know the old adage that “the customer is always right.” The philosophy of customer centricity takes the idea further: it means working in a way that focuses first on providing a positive customer experience.

When PrescribeIT^® launched in Lethbridge, AB, in February 2018, it was the first community in the province to use the e-prescribing service. It was also among the first in the country.

Gone are the days when clinicians practiced at only one specific site. Currently, many work at a few different sites part-time, or even as a fill-in or relief. Like many of my colleagues, I provide patient care at a few different sites as a community pharmacist.

Have you ever wondered where a work day has gone? A few minutes troubleshooting here and there can add up with astonishing speed. In a busy clinic, those small diversions carry a heavy weight.

In 2016, driven by Canada Health Infoway’s (Infoway’s) e-prescribing initiative, Infoway and Health Canada undertook a project to create the Canadian Clinical Drug Data Set, a national drug terminology.

The world has changed significantly over the past few weeks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Terms such as “physical distancing” have entered the lexicon, parents are taking on the challenge of homeschooling and Zoom video meetings have become a daily norm for many of us.

Communication is key for any team. This is especially true in health care, where siloed services and a fragmented system can make it difficult to provide efficient care.

Both here in Canada and south of the border people are grappling with the cascading effects that opioids are having on individuals, health systems, social services and more. Families and governments alike are seeking accountability for the crisis in which we’re living and ways to move forward to address this crisis.