The electronic prescription system in development – step 2 : assessing the pharmacists’ perspective

Abstract

Introduction: E-prescribing is defined as the process of electronically generating and sending a prescription using a technological framework. The use of a computer-generated prescription has been suggested to have a positive impact on the prescribing and dispensing process. The system was introduced in Malta in 2016 as part of the Pharmacy of Your Choice (POYC) scheme and it was rolled out to health centre doctors. The aim of this project is to describe the use of and experiences with an E-prescribing system from the pharmacists’ perspective and explore in more detail the issues that pharmacists encounter with the system in their day to day work. This project ties in with another study aimed at assessing the general practitioner’s perspective. Methods: A questionnaire has been prepared using Google Forms. This is divided into several sections aimed at assessing the satisfaction of users with the IT system used for dispensing drugs, their experience with learning how to operate the software, the usability of the system and safety issues that arise with E-Prescribing. The questionnaire is based on binary and Likert Scale questions with a limited number of open-ended questions included in areas where further exploration was required. The questionnaire will be distributed to pharmacists through the POYC Unit via e-mail. Results: Descriptive analysis will be carried out by November 2018 and results issued thereafter. Conclusion: The experiences and issues encountered by pharmacists will be documented and forwarded to the POYC unit for consideration. More in-depth information will be sought through individual interviews and eventually focus group discussions. Disclosures: This work was supported by TD COST Action TD 1405 - European Network for the Joint Evaluation of Connected Health Technologies (ENJECT).