This workshop will discuss the development of Electronic Medication Records with a focus on systems being developed in Australian and Singapore. The Australian Better Medication Management System (BMMS) brings together information about medications prescribed by different doctors and dispensed by different pharmacists, to provide doctors and pharmacists with greater knowledge about medications patients are using. There are privacy, consent, legal, technological and political issues to be addressed in implementing this system. The purpose of the workshop is to promote discussion about electronic medication record systems and the challenges faced in their development and implementation, with participants drawing on similar experiences or knowledge about the use of information technology in the health arena.
The purpose of the workshop will be to invite discussion on Electronic Medication Record Systems and the issues around its development and implementation.
It is hoped to achieve outcomes that:
(a) inform the implementation of future developments in Electronic Medication Management; and
(b) provide delegates with an insight into the development of such systems in Singapore and Australia including knowledge of things that were done right and things that could have been done differently.
The Better Medication Management System (BMMS) is an initiative of the Australian Government that will be available, voluntarily, to virtually all Australians. The aim of the BMMS is to use a unique patient identifier to create an electronic, consumer oriented, medication record that contains up to date medication information that will enable doctors and pharmacists to prescribe and dispense with greater knowledge about other medications already used by consumers. The record is made up of prescriptions written by different doctors and dispensed by different pharmacists.
The record is to be stored in a central database and accessible with patient consent.
Major issues include privacy concerns; consent processes; timely accessibility of records by clinicians; the differing needs of consumers, doctors and pharmacists; the concurrent development of policy, legislation and technology; and the education required for new health informatics systems.
The national medication management system from Singapore will also be presented.
The workshop is expected to attract delegates with an interest in health information policy and those with an interest in using the Internet to facilitate positive health outcomes. It is expected that discussion will centre around the aforementioned challenges faced in implementing the system, with participants drawing on similar experiences or knowledge of these areas.