This appeared last week:
A brand new script
All systems will be set to go on full-scale e-prescribing by the end of 2019, Minister announces
Australia’s national e-prescribing network should be operational by the end of 2019, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced at the PSA19 Conference in Sydney, last weekend.
Mr Hunt said that e-prescribing was the “final piece of the puzzle” in setting up a fully operational e-health network.
“Very shortly, our framework will be completed, and I can announce today that we expect the National Australian e-prescribing network up and running before the end of 2019,” Mr Hunt said.
“As with real-time monitoring, we just need the starts to come on board. We’ve already laid the railroad tracks for this very significant change.”
Speaking later in the event, Paul Naismith, founder and CEO of Fred Health said that the end of year timeline was “ambitious”, but that it would be the culmination of 10 years work since the first e-scripts were introduced.
“While the timeline he’s set is a bit of surprise and at first indication is ambitious, I think, it’s great to actually have a date set and have a Minister actively support the change.”
“This could be the most significant change in pharmacy practice since the first computers were introduced to the pharmacy,” Mr Naismith said.
The changes would see the legislation requiring mandatory printed prescriptions be abolished. Importantly, the choice of which pharmacy the e-prescription is to be directed to would be in the hands of the patient, and not the GP, he said.
When the script is written up by the GP, a pop-up screen in the software will ask whether the script is to be sent to the patients phone via SMS, sent direct to an email for the patient or pharmacy, or whether the patient wants a printed script.
A bar code on the script can be used off a phone when in the pharmacy.
More here:
With this big news I thought it would be wise to go to the source.
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Conference 2019
Read Minister Hunt's speech at the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia 2019 Conference
Media event date: 26 July 2019
Date published: 29 July 2019
Media type: Speech
Audience: General public
GREG HUNT:
Thanks very much to Chris and Shane and (inaudible).
----- Vast amounts omitted with lots of inaudible comments.
“And then (inaudible) striving to finish the final piece of the puzzle.
Very shortly, our framework will be completed, and I can announce today that we expect the National Australian Network to (inaudible) before the end of 2019. And that would be a very significant (inaudible).
So that’s the vision, which we have been developing in conjunction with Chris and Melinda, but all of you together.
So I want to acknowledge you and thank you and say that this really is an environment where pharmacy has its greatest potential to impact on national health plans of any time in the last century.
Have a great PSA 2019.”
Here is the link:
Someone with better hearing got this as:
“Very shortly, our framework will be completed, and I can announce today that we expect the National Australian e-prescribing network up and running before the end of 2019,” Mr Hunt said.”
Assuming this is correct it is interesting to see how this can work. The later part of the article gives a clue.
The new pharmacy digital strategy mentioned below adds not much in the way of detail:
Digital pharmacy key to medicine safety and efficacy
Tuesday, 30 July, 2019
Electronic prescriptions and real-time prescription monitoring are among projects tipped to empower pharmacists to be more accountable and responsible for medicine safety and efficacy.
The findings are contained in the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) digital health report Connecting the dots: Digitally empowered pharmacists.
The report, funded by the Australian Digital Health Agency, said digital health initiatives and technological transformation would empower pharmacists to be more accountable and responsible for medicine safety and efficacy.
Australia’s health system was in the midst of a new wave of technological transformation, one that was connecting health information so that the information was accessible to patients, health professionals and carers at any time it was requested or needed for patient care.
Here is the link:
This article provides some more details:
Govt promises paper scripts will be optional by Christmas
New software for the e-prescribing system is in the pipeline
1st August 2019
GPs who want to ditch paper scripts will be able to do so within months, the government says.
The Department of Health says it will finish building a national, paper-free e-prescribing system before the end of 2019, allowing doctors to issue legally valid scripts using their clinical software.
The long-awaited reform was first announced in May last year, when the government earmarked $30 million for paperless prescribing in the 2018 federal budget.
However, it wasn’t immediately clear what the money was funding.
The department subsequently explained that the funding was for existing GP and pharmacy software to undergo the technical changes necessary for the e-scripts to meet the legal requirements demanded of paper scripts.
In October this year, laws will be changed so e-scripts are recognised as legally valid in the same way as their paper counterparts, a spokesperson said.
Here is the link:
These 2 paragraphs seem key:
“When the script is written up by the GP, a pop-up screen in the software will ask whether the script is to be sent to the patients phone via SMS, sent direct to an email for the patient or pharmacy, or whether the patient wants a printed script.
A bar code on the script can be used off a phone when in the pharmacy.”
But this seems to be contingent on legislative change and on there being connected and updated software for pharmacists and updated GP software. Depending on all this to come together in the next 5 months seems like a pretty big ask – as the founder of Fred Health said in the first article.
Time will tell but my house is not being bet on the December, 2019 deadline!
What do you think?
David.
Mr Hunt said that e-prescribing was the "final piece of the puzzle" in setting up a fully operational e-health network.
ReplyDeleteDoes this guy really think that e-prescribing was the "final piece of the puzzle" in a fully operational e-health network?
ehealth in Australia is becoming farcical. Hunt and his advisers are so far out of touch it's becoming embarrassing.
Reminds me of a certain POTUS and his "Mission Accomplished" claim.
What do I think? I, for one, am puzzled by the puzzle. The Minister said that "e-prescribing was the final piece of the puzzle” !
ReplyDeleteWhat puzzle has the Minister got in his mind?
Does the ADHA have the same "puzzle" in mind?
Does the Department have the same "puzzle in mind?
Do the pharmacy and medical software vendors know what is the "puzzle"?
Are we all in agreement about the "puzzle' or are we all puzzled by the "puzzle"?
What exactly is the "puzzle". Would someone please clarify.
I have to say your "puzzlement" is no surprise to me and they are all good questions you ask!
ReplyDeleteI am similarly confused!
David.
Thinking about the Minister's comment the penny suddenly dropped ...... the Minister was admitting he has been puzzled but is now relieved that a fully operational e-health network is nearly complete. ....... when some starts happen.
ReplyDeleteDear Minister, thank you for your recent application to join the real world. We appreciate a lot of time, money and effort went into preparing your recent attempts to present some resemblance of a credible and trustworthy member of parliament. Unfortunately this time you have been unsuccessful. We wish you and your fairy script writers all the best and look forward with great anticipation for your next venture.
ReplyDeleteBest regards
Norm & Ally Gullible.
Dear Norm & Ally Gullible
ReplyDeleteThank you for your letter advising that I have been unsuccessful on this occasion. My script writers are in their potting shed at the bottom of the garden finalising plans for the next venture which I too am looking forward to with great anticipation.
Best wishes
Minister Punt.
Dear Norm and Ally
ReplyDeleteMy department is well advanced in the development and deployment of the a national ERRCD (the Electronic Recording and Reporting of Controlled Drugs) to address the growing problem of doctor-shopping. Tasmania's DORA system has been a great success and the government has selected DORA as the basis of the national system. Victoria has chosen to develop its own system, while Queensland and Western Australia are undertaking feasibility studies preparatory to designing a system to meet the unique needs of those states. NSW has begun development of a RTPM to meet the needs of the people of NSW.
As you will appreciate the government's leadership with its ERRCD system has contributed greatly to gaining the co-operation of all jurisdictions in collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency to ensuring a co-ordinated approach to doctor-shopping and RTPM can be quickly realised to the benefit of all Australians.
Health Minister Shunt
Dear Norm and Ally
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what you are talking about.
Yours, in ignorance
Minister for healthiness.
Dear Minister
ReplyDeleteWith the utmost respect we think your confession reads better like this: "I am talking about something on which I have no ideas."
Yours respectfully
Anon 3:52
ReplyDeleteBut Tim told me we have completely solved all the problems of e-health and will soon be the envy of the word. Are you saying he's wrong? He sounds awfully convincing, you know.
They didn't tell me before I took on this role that nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.
Ah well, at least we don't have an election coming up. Maybe I can move on before the next one.
Yours ruefully.
Beware Pommes bearing eGifts
ReplyDeleteOf course they didn't tell you that "nobody knew that health care could be so complicated".
ReplyDeleteIf nobody knew then how could they tell you? How stupid are you.
Dear Norm and Ally
ReplyDeleteTim has been explaining to me what's been going on in the NHS in the UK, where he's from. Did you know that?
The NHS has gathered huge amounts of data on all its citizens and has realised how much it is worth. They are now trying to work out how to monetize it. (that's a technical term that means "sell")
It's all explained in this article by one of our great consulting companies.
How we can place a value on health care data
https://www.ey.com/en_us/life-sciences/how-we-can-place-a-value-on-health-care-data
That's the real reason we have spend billions of government dollars on something that does nothing for the health of Australians, but it does mean we collect lots of lovely health data we can sell.
We don't want to frighten the people, so don't spread this around. It's our little secret.
Dear Norm and Ally
ReplyDeleteand don't think my health record is the only source of patient data.
Is the new PIP QI a back door to your personal health data?
https://www.pulseitmagazine.com.au/australian-ehealth/5055-opinion-is-the-new-pip-qi-a-back-door-to-your-personal-health-data
we've set up a system that bribes doctors to give us more and better data without the patient even knowing about it or us having to get their consent.
We just hope the doctors don't notice and need the money so much they forget that hippocratic thingie they bang on about so much. Get real. This is the world of Facebook, Google, Social Media and big data.
Yours triumphantly
Norm + Ally Guidable
ReplyDeleteThe privacy of your most personal information is second only to our commitment to the care and wellbeing of our healthcare workers.
The introduction of the My Health Record – “your health, our way” and the secondary trawler PIP QI are designed to ensure affordable healthcare is delivered to those who can afford it, while weeding out easy targets to make statistics support this departments agenda. How good are agenda’s
We are keen to can feedback and if you would like to participate in a notionally important health debate please address correspondence to:
U. R. Sole
Chief of Staff
Office of the
It's just as well Minister Hunt has told us that e-prescribing was the "final piece of the puzzle" in setting up a fully operational e-health network.
ReplyDeleteit means an end to all those other health record systems the states might want to build - after all My Health Record will do everything needed to support healthcare across Australia.
But wait. Maybe he hasn't told NSW to stop wasting their money.
NSW Health / RFI NSW Health - Single Digital Patient Record - RFT-10025641
https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/health/?event=public.rft.show&RFTUUID=ED9B9D7A-E942-F1DB-6E67BF56342AC244
The eHealth Strategy aims to create ‘a digitally enabled and integrated system delivering patient-centred health experiences and quality health outcomes’ in NSW.
NSW Health is considering options to develop a Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR), which will provide a holistic, state-wide view of a patient’s health care information. The SDPR will support safe, high-quality healthcare for patients and a more consistent ICT user experience for healthcare providers.
Silly old NSW.
OMG.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean a GP will need to consult three different systems in each consultation?
1. Their own system to see what happened at the last consultation.
2. The SDPR in case the patient has seen another GO or been to hospital
2. Myhr in case the patient has added anything to their own record, or someone has uploaded an event summary or a discharge summary from an out of state hospital or a pharmacist has prescribed something?
It's the same in the ACT.
To incorrectly quote Roy and HG. Too much health data is never enough.
The article in AusDoc 1 Aug - "Govt promises paper scripts will be optional by Christmas" is illumination.
ReplyDeleteItt wasn’t immediately clear what the money was funding when the VIC Gov't first announced in May last year that it had earmarked $30 million for paperless prescribing in the 2018 federal budget.
Now the department has explained what the funding was for.
It is to be used for the technical changes to be made to existing GP and pharmacy software to ensure e-scripts meet the legal requirements demanded of paper scripts so that they will be recognised as legally valid in the same way as their paper counterparts, a health department spokesperson said.
AND GPs and pharmacists who wish to use an e-script will need to have software that meets certain privacy and security standards.
AND wait for it ................ halleluelah .......
"these standards are in development and might not be ready until Christmas."
Ooohhhhh. !!!! these standards are in development!!!! Ooooohhh !!!!
It's like watching children at play. Such enthusisam and ignorance of reality.
ReplyDelete“Does that mean a GP will need to consult three different systems in each consultation?”
ReplyDeleteWell, I am guessing that their GP system will need to do the heavy lifting here. For example, for pathology results it will need to:
1. Look at its own data to see if there are any pathology results received from orders previously made from this practice to a pathology provider; and
2. Use the patient’s identifier (which one? – is the national IHI or the state identifier?), to look up the state-based patient record, but remember this will only have data from public state funded health services, not private pathology providers; and then
3. Use the patient’s IHI to look up the My Health Record which might also have some path results, some of which may be duplicates of those in 1) and 2) above.
Then with all of this data, the GP system will need to put it in a format that makes some sense – which ones are duplicates? Which ones are recent? Is there something missing? Is this test code the same as that test code? If it can’t rationalise them, then it will need to simply list them. A nice big pile of unsorted pathology results for the GP to scan.
Might be easier to just get the syringe out and take some more blood samples and send them off to see what’s going on. So much for reducing the number of pathology tests.
Here comes those military style tiger teams ready made DoD bunker busters
ReplyDeleteKenneth Hayne's Speech "Trust in politics has been destroyed" is a rivetting critique not to be missed.
ReplyDeleteNSW eHealth spokesman on the new single patient record
ReplyDeleteA spokesperson for eHealth NSW told iTnews the SDPR initiative would “enhance” and “harmonise” the existing ehealth record to provide greater consistency across public hospitals.
Benefits such as improved data analytics and clinical decision support, greater ease of integrated with private healthcare providers and a more consistent IT user experience are expected to flow from the project.
There is also the possibility that the initiative will give patients the ability to access and interact with their NSW ehealth record much like they would with the national My Health Record.
Who the single lucky patient will be is anyone’s guess. They are indication a low bar of usage by comparing it the Kelsey Health Record