Ontario pharmacists awarded for telepharmacy work

Bryan Meadows of the Chronicle Journal writes about Colin J. Pienaar and Maritza du Preez, a pair of pharmacists from Sioux Lookout winning an award at the Ontario Pharmacists' Association annual meeting for getting the first Community hospital joined to the Ontario Telemedicine Network:

In an interview Thursday, Pienaar said the couple was very surprised by the recognition.
“We did everything because we felt it was necessary at the time. We realize now that it was quite a lot of groundbreaking stuff – quite surprisingly.”
...
When they realized this solution only met their patients‘ needs for pharmacy care one or two days a month, Sioux Lookout Remedy‘s Rx became the first community pharmacy to join the Ontario telemedicine network. Today, a video conferencing unit allows patients to see their pharmacist daily through a live television feed, and patient information materials have been translated into Oji-Cree as has a blister medication reminder card.

Is telepharmacy an answer to Swine Flu reducing available pharmacy staff?

According to Kate Traynor writing for ASHP, the Fairview Health Services network of hospitals in Minnesota is considering allowing their pharmacists to work from home in the event they or a family member contracts the flu:

Allowing pharmacists to work off-site is another option under discussion. Knoer said the seven-hospital Fairview Health Services network that includes his medical center has some experience with remote order verification. Specifically, he said, one hospital pharmacy that operates around the clock has verified orders for a smaller hospital with limited pharmacy hours.

"The doctor would write an order, the pharmacists would verify it, and the nurse would get it out of the automated dispensing unit," Knoer said.

In theory, he said, pharmacy staff with remote computer access to the hospital could verify orders from home if schools close and workers need to stay with or near their children.

"We have talked about, in the case where we would have issues with the employees not being able to come to work, we could have employees work from home or another [Fairview] site," Knoer said.

But he cautioned that many issues remain to be discussed before remote order entry can work on a large scale at Fairview.

Yet another problem Telepharmacy can help solve!

Comprehensive Pharmacy Services acquires "remote pharmacy technology"

An online business newspaper, the Memphis Commerical Appeal covered Comprehensive's acquisition of a Remote Order Entry company that will allow remote pharmacy services for the pharmacy services giant (original press release):

Upshaw said remote order entry services are fairly new to the pharmacy landscape. Comprehensive Pharmacy began pursuing the market area in 2007.

"Over the past three or four years we've seen (remote pharmacies) gaining credibility and gaining ground," he said. "People are feeling more comfortable about them now that they see quality systems in place to address the information, sharing and (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) issues."

The RxKnights acquisition follows a Comprehensive Pharmacy acquisition last year of MedManagement, the pharmacy management arm of McKesson Corp. That acquisition made Comprehensive Pharmacy the country's largest pharmacy services provider.

More details in the article and press release, both are a bit short on details about the actual program, however. Still noteworthy!

Minnesota retail telepharmacy has grand opening

The Minnesota retail pharmacy that opened a few months ago had its grand opening last week in Adrian. Julie Buntjer of the Worthington Daily Globe did a write up on the event and the pharmacy's operations:

Erpestad takes prescriptions at the Adrian telepharmacy and sends digital images of the prescription, the pill bottle and the pills to Sterling Drug in Worthington, where Hagen or a fellow pharmacist must examine each image on the computer screen and approve of the medication before it can be dispensed to the customer.

In addition to digital images, the telepharmacy utilizes web cameras, specialized computer software, voiceover Internet and a dedicated communication line. The technology also provides for one-on-one counseling between the pharmacist in Worthington and the customer in Adrian.

Kansas University to use telepharmacy in new building

Kansas University's West Campus is getting a new building that will house a pharmacy that employs telepharmacy:

A pharmacy is planned for the building, which Audus said would serve KU students, faculty and staff, so as not to compete with other pharmacies in the area. That pharmacy may use automated technology, including tele-pharmacy, he said. That’s similar to a U.S. Navy setup in San Diego where pharmacists there relay information to technicians on ships at sea, who fill the prescriptions for sailors.

The new building should open by August, 2010.