Pharmacy Daily | US patient data pilot

THE US Department of Health and Human Services has launched a pilot program which aims to make it easier for doctors, pharmacists and emergency departments to access patient drug records. The scheme will initially launch in Indiana and Ohio, utilising existing prescription drug monitoring programs which are already in place in 49 US states. Although the data is routinely collected, apparently it’s rarely used by health professionals because it is difficult to access. Under the pilot program the government will merge the data with the electronic health reord systems already in use in doctors’ practices and pharmacies. The scheme will also provide the data in real-time, unlike previous systems which involved a 30 day processing period meaning information was usually out of date. A key outcome of the project is to reduce abuse of prescription drugs by enabling health professionals to identify patients who are routinely presenting for prescriptions at hospital emergency departments. The government said that in some states emergency providers account for a quarter of all controlled substance predictions, according to a Reuters report.

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