Does an integrated information technology system provide support for community pharmacists undertaking Discharge Medicines Reviews? An exploratory study

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the views of community pharmacists participating in the pilot of a secure online platform in Wales, the Choose Pharmacy application (CPA), with particular interest in the electronic Discharge Advice Letters (e-DALs) and online Discharge Medicines Revie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Integrated pharmacy research and practice 2017-01, Vol.6, p.145
Main Authors: Mantzourani, Efthymia, Way, Cheryl M, Hodson, Karen L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beliefs, opinions and attitudes
Information technology
Pharmacists
Practice
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the views of community pharmacists participating in the pilot of a secure online platform in Wales, the Choose Pharmacy application (CPA), with particular interest in the electronic Discharge Advice Letters (e-DALs) and online Discharge Medicines Review (DMR) form. Materials and methods: A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was adopted. A gatekeeper from National Health Service Wales Informatics Service identified 35 pharmacies, of the 43 pharmacies where the CPA had been implemented, that had completed at least one DMR, and these were therefore invited to an interview. Results: A total of17 pharmacists were interviewed. Overall, the results were positive and CPA and e-DAL were perceived to facilitate continuity of care between care settings. The design and usability were perceived as good as pharmacists could navigate the CPA without problems; many felt this was due to the level of training they had received. Many pharmacists were happy for other services to be included on the platform due to its ease of use and automatic reimbursement. Several pharmacists felt that communication between primary and secondary care can be further improved as the uptake of e-DAL increases. Conclusion: CPA was found to streamline the completion of online DMR improving continuity of care between primary and secondary sectors, which in turn should improve patient safety on discharge from hospital. Keywords: continuity of care, electronic Discharge Advice Letter, Discharge Medicines Review
ISSN:2230-5254
2230-5254
DOI:10.2l47/IPRP.SI33273