Drug Information
Purpose
The Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN) is the Alberta’s drug information repository, and was the first application to be created within the EHR. It collects key information from physician offices and pharmacies across Alberta and creates a medication profile for each patient. The goal is to provide health professionals with the information and tools they need to make the best possible drug therapy decisions and improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of drug therapies.
Current Objectives
- Deployment of real time integration with pharmacy practice management systems.
- Deployment of electronic prescribing.
Status
- Development of real time integration with key physician office Elecronic Medical Records has been completed.
- Development of real time integration with pharmacy practice management systems varies by vendor. Implementation is underway for some vendors.
- Provincial electronic prescribing has been developed and some vendors have piloted the functionality in their systems.
Future Developments
Future projects will support the following enhancements:
- Incorporation of the medication component of transcribed hospital discharge summaries into PIN.
- Integrate PIN with AHS institutional pharmacy information systems.
- Establish connection to Communicable Disease and Outbreak Management System.
- Capture long-term care medication dispensing.
PIN was first launched in 1999, and has undergone a number of enhancements over the years to expand the information available and to improve usability.
