New drug-monitoring system needs work, say pharmacists

A new electronic provincewide prescription-monitoring system aimed at preventing drug abuse is being welcomed by the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association as a "long-awaited" and "important tool."

But the professional organization, which has lobbied for such a system since 2005, also warns it is "merely one tool" and that people with addictions will need to be supported by other services.

"We urge the government to act quickly to ensure those resources are in place," executive director Paul Blanchard said in a statement Tuesday.

The association is also calling on the government to follow the lead of the other Atlantic provinces and integrate the prescription-monitoring program with the software in retail pharmacies to create an interactive drug information system.

"While we are pleased with the development of a prescription-monitoring program that deals with drugs of addiction, there is much work yet to be done on the overall system," said Blanchard.

• Long-awaited drug-monitoring program starts in N.B. pharmacies

The prescription-monitoring program launched by the Gallant government on Monday gives each New Brunswicker a single, up-to-date electronic health record that includes their medication history.

Over the next year, the program will include alerts "to help prescribers and pharmacists identify potential issues such as so-called 'double-doctoring,' prescriptions being filled at multiple pharmacies, and high quantities of monitored drugs," the government said.

We want this system to be the best possible for our patients and for the pharmacists who provide them with vital health care services.- Paul Blanchard, pharmacists' association

But the new system is not interactive and does not provide pharmacists with important alerts that identify drug interactions and dosage issues, said Blanchard.

"That is a big issue when you are dealing with 12 million prescriptions annually, as it will lead to a lot of manual intervention and possible delays at the counter," he said.

Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and Newfoundland all have interactive systems.

"We want this system to be the best possible for our patients and for the pharmacists who provide them with vital health-care services," said Blanchard.

'Major priority'

Health Minister Victor Boudreau has made a commitment to establishing a technical working group to discuss pharmacists' concerns with the drug information system, according to Blanchard.

"This is a major priority for pharmacists in New Brunswick," the statement said.

Boudreau has described the newly launched system as "a key component of the One Patient, One Record vision and will help health-care professionals make better decisions for their patients' care."

People picking up prescription drugs will need a provincial health-card number or federal equivalent.

The government says the electronic health record is secure and private, and personal health information is protected under the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act.