This letter is from Mr. Dennis Darby, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association in response to Decisions, Decisions: Family Doctors as Gatekeepers to Prescription Drugs and Diagnostic Imaging in Canada . We invite you to comment here in the blogspace.
Family physicians need greater access to decision-support tools such as electronic medical records, a drug information system and electronic prescribing. Pharmacists need these tools too, but in the meantime, there is much they can do to help.
It’s a daunting task for any doctor to stay on top of the latest research about prescription drugs. Expert advice on medication is just one way pharmacists, and the drug information and research centre at the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association, can help.
As the experts in medication and its management, pharmacists are key players on the health-care team, working closely with physicians and other health-care providers to ensure drugs are prescribed and used effectively. Through Bill 179, the Ontario government has acknowledged the tremendous value of pharmacists as medication experts by expanding their scope of practice. This new legislation is in keeping with the national trend toward more collaborative and interdisciplinary care.
Once this collaborative model takes greater hold, we will see profound changes in how medications are prescribed, used and monitored, by a more efficient and effective healthcare team that capitalizes on the expertise of its various professionals.
Electronic health records, a drug information system and electronic prescribing will facilitate much of this work, and we must all push hard to make it happen.
--Mr. Darby’s comments in this blog are reproduced with permission from the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association. His letter previously appeared in several newspapers.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Kazakh Delegation Visits, Speaks to CEO About Health Care Systems and On-going Reform
Yeena Peng and Terry Glecoff
Joined by the Deputy Minister of Health, a delegation from the Republic of Kazakhstan met with the Health Council of Canada yesterday to discuss our country’s health care system.
The group shared information and ideas about the funding of Canada’s system, infrastructure planning, information technology in health care, Canada’s public health initiatives, and payment mechanisms. The visitors discussed some of the challenges facing their country that include better reimbursement methods to providers and developing multi-disciplinary teams of health care professionals. John G. Abbott, Health Council CEO, highlighted Canada’s critical need for the establishment of electronic medical and health information systems.
The conversation saw the groups agree on the need to develop new standards focusing on prevention for both countries. Like Canada, Kazakhstan’s health care leaders need to continue to explore ways to effectively reform their existing system to ensure sustainability. The groups agree that governments and health authorities must support system change through better engagement of citizens, patients and health care providers.
Joined by the Deputy Minister of Health, a delegation from the Republic of Kazakhstan met with the Health Council of Canada yesterday to discuss our country’s health care system.
The group shared information and ideas about the funding of Canada’s system, infrastructure planning, information technology in health care, Canada’s public health initiatives, and payment mechanisms. The visitors discussed some of the challenges facing their country that include better reimbursement methods to providers and developing multi-disciplinary teams of health care professionals. John G. Abbott, Health Council CEO, highlighted Canada’s critical need for the establishment of electronic medical and health information systems.
The conversation saw the groups agree on the need to develop new standards focusing on prevention for both countries. Like Canada, Kazakhstan’s health care leaders need to continue to explore ways to effectively reform their existing system to ensure sustainability. The groups agree that governments and health authorities must support system change through better engagement of citizens, patients and health care providers.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Canadian Association of Radiologists responds to Council's 'Decisions, Decisions' Report
This letter is from Ms. Adele Fifield, CEO of the Canadian Association of Radiologists. She contributed to the research and development of the report. We invite you to read Decisions, Decisions: Family Doctors as Gatekeepers to Prescription Drugs and Diagnostic Imaging in Canada then give us your thoughts on the important issues it contains.
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The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) supports concerns raised in the newly released report, Decisions, Decisions: Family Doctors as Gatekeepers of Prescription Drugs and Diagnostic Imaging, by the Health Council of Canada.
The question of appropriate ordering of diagnostic imaging tests is an important one for all of us. Research shows that as many as 30% of CT scans and other imaging procedures are inappropriate or contribute no useful information. Reducing inappropriate imaging is essential in maintaining patient safety, in reducing wait times, and in using equipment and health human resources as optimally as possible.
Children and the imaging care they require was one of the many concerns shared just last week (September 20-22) at a World Health Organization (WHO) workshop on radiation risk communication in pediatric imaging. CAR was represented at the event by Dr. Martin Reed, Chair of the CAR Guidelines Working Group, and the group expressed interest in learning of the Health Council of Canada’s findings.
This report also highlights that a key step in ensuring the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging tests in Canada will be better and broader use of guidelines. Greater attention can and must be paid to communicating these guidelines to physicians from the early stages of their training and throughout their careers -. As mentioned in the report, CAR is responding, in part by redeveloping its Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guidelines: A Guide for Physicians. We’ve also been working to make guidelines a part of the physician’s daily workflow by incorporating imaging guidelines in electronic decision support with computer order entry. We are further studying compliance with imaging guidelines.
In addition to the role played by physicians in efforts to increase appropriate ordering, patients also have a role to play in what they are demanding of their doctors. We hope that this report will help Canadians better understand the dynamics within the health care industry. We are very pleased to speak about this topic from the perspective of radiologists.
Wishing you well,
Adele
The question of appropriate ordering of diagnostic imaging tests is an important one for all of us. Research shows that as many as 30% of CT scans and other imaging procedures are inappropriate or contribute no useful information. Reducing inappropriate imaging is essential in maintaining patient safety, in reducing wait times, and in using equipment and health human resources as optimally as possible.
Children and the imaging care they require was one of the many concerns shared just last week (September 20-22) at a World Health Organization (WHO) workshop on radiation risk communication in pediatric imaging. CAR was represented at the event by Dr. Martin Reed, Chair of the CAR Guidelines Working Group, and the group expressed interest in learning of the Health Council of Canada’s findings.
This report also highlights that a key step in ensuring the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging tests in Canada will be better and broader use of guidelines. Greater attention can and must be paid to communicating these guidelines to physicians from the early stages of their training and throughout their careers -. As mentioned in the report, CAR is responding, in part by redeveloping its Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guidelines: A Guide for Physicians. We’ve also been working to make guidelines a part of the physician’s daily workflow by incorporating imaging guidelines in electronic decision support with computer order entry. We are further studying compliance with imaging guidelines.
In addition to the role played by physicians in efforts to increase appropriate ordering, patients also have a role to play in what they are demanding of their doctors. We hope that this report will help Canadians better understand the dynamics within the health care industry. We are very pleased to speak about this topic from the perspective of radiologists.
Wishing you well,
Adele
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