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3.7. Information and Communication Technology Pharmacists need appropriate patient

information to effectively manage drug

therapy and to function as team members

responsible for health outcomes related to

medication therapies2. Therefore, they

should be given access to such information,

as well as being given the opportunity to

manage the information they collect during

the course of their activities, bearing in

mind patient confidentiality issues. IT

support systems enable consistency of

service, based on auditable processes where

performance can be tracked and outcomes

measured6.

In order to increase efficiency and

effectiveness, several countries are in the

process of implementing Electronic

Prescription Services. Electronic prescribing

enables physicians to deliver better and

safer care to patients and, when well

designed, facilitates healthcare

professionals access to patient information

in a secure and timely manner, through the

establishment of electronic patient health

records. It is vital that pharmacy leaders are

involved at a national level when such

systems are being designed and

implemented, making sure they address

practitioners, regulators and payers

concerns, must mostly, that they meet

individual patients needs and expectations.

Proposed actions2,4,5,6,7,31

Ensure that pharmacy is engaged in the development and implementation of information and communication technologies, including but not limited to electronic prescribing and

the transfer of prescriptions;

Ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, within their scope of practice, will have the ability to read, write to and modify relevant sections of a patient s electronic

health record;

Speed up and support the adoption of pharmacy information systems that sustain patient care activities and services.