Download The Patient Drug Information System

The Patient Drug Information System
The Patient Drug Information System was developed to address a difficult obstacle faced by our profession in our
efforts to establish the value of our professional role.
The role of the pharmacist is typically categorized according to the visible and the invisible functions we
perform. How do we gain recognition for the value of our role when it increasingly focuses on these invisible
functions?
The Patient Drug Information System is designed to address this issue.
The Patient Drug Information System is a system for dialogue with the patient. It provides a clear, consistent and
mandatory approach to achieve a visible standardised level of dialogue with each patient.
For the patient it provides a visible reference outlining the information the pharmacist is committed to review
with the patient during the dialogue process. It offers a format through which the pharmacist can provide
selective information based on a professional assessment of the patient's needs.
For the pharmacist it creates a step-by-step approach to patient dialogue, assisting the pharmacist in providing a
consistent level of drug information that encompasses all the essential elements of the dialogue process. It has
been proven to be particularly effective in assisting those who have less confidence in their communication skills.
The duplicate copy retained by the pharmacist provides documentation of the dialogue received by the patient.
For the physician it clearly defines the unique role the pharmacist plays in the health care system as the drug
information specialist. Experience has proven this to be useful in cases where physicians are otherwise
uncomfortable with the aspect of the community pharmacist participating in the health care team.
For the third party payer it represents tangible evidence that pharmacists offer a mechanism to enhance the
education of patients regarding their medication. This benefits the payer both by achieving more effective and
efficient use of drug therapy, and by producing enhanced health in the employee.
Today we face a challenge where many professions are being asked to provide evidence of the value of the
services they provide.
For the profession of pharmacy to respond to that challenge it is essential that we have a system by which we:
•
•
provide our services in a clear, consistent manner.
define our services by a tangible mechanism which allows the consumer to assess and establish the
value of our professional role.
The Patient Drug Information System provides a solution which is practical to implement and use in the
community practice setting.
For more information contact: Brian Stowe c/o The Prescription Shop (613)526-3666
Q. Frustrated by the lack of recognition you receive as a health care provider?
Q. Interested in a system which Makes your professional role more visible to patients and payers?
The role of the pharmacist is often described according to the Visible (dispensing) and invisible (cognitive)
functions we Perform. As the primary focus of our profession shifts to these invisable functions, how can we
ensure that we are recognized for the valuable contribution we provide to the health care of Canadians?