The integration of local pharmacy systems and the EHR is designed to make this communication more efficient, and to make the best quality of data available to you and to your health care colleagues.

What is EHR Integration?

EHR Integration allows your pharmacy system and the EHR to communicate key information about your patient at the point of care. This communication is seamless, and occurs while you are interacting with your patient in real time. This means that you don’t have to leave your pharmacy system to view medication information in Alberta Netcare, and you don’t have to use Pharmacy Batch to submit your data.  

Why Should Pharmacists Participate?

When patient information is updated in real time, instead of in batches, the quality of data increases — but most importantly — patient safety increases. There are many additional advantages of integrating your pharmacy system with the provincial electronic health record.

• You can view add and update patient medication information in the EHR automatically as you perform these functions in your local system.
• You won’t need to open Alberta Netcare Portal to view dispenses from another pharmacy. You can view your patient's provincial Medication Profile within your pharmacy system.
• You won’t need to use Pharmacy Batch or manually manage response files. Integration allows you to send updates to the EHR in real time, while you are with your patient.
• Your medication dispenses are available immediately to other clinicians.
• You can quickly add new patients to your system with information from the provincial client registry.
• You can quickly check eligibility for Alberta government sponsored programs and obtain/verify PHNs from within your pharmacy system. For example, eligibility for the influenza vaccination program through Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan.
• You can get to know your patients better by having access to information about other medications (including schedule 2 drugs) your patients are taking and other pharmacies they may have visited.