CHT's 21st Century Intelligent Pharmacy Project Work Group Meets to Discuss Solutions

On Friday, June 26, 2009, CHT Project Director, Wayne Oliver, held a meeting to discuss his 21st Century Intelligent Pharmacy Project. The purpose of the meeting was to gather representatives from many different leading pharmaceutical and healthcare companies to discuss the project in more detail. Innovations and ideas concerning patient health, support of pharmacy education, and patient interaction with physicians and pharmacists were discussed. The group decided that improved patient care is the main goal and it is important to focus on patient outcomes and patient health.

The members, along with Wayne Oliver, are focused on compiling their ideas and innovations in a book that will be completed in 2010. This book will address the importance of emerging technology in healthcare, advancing patient safety, and encouraging individual responsibility and patient engagement. Issues such as more accessible prescription packaging and patient-pharmacist relationships were also brought to the table.

During the meeting, members were assigned topics to focus on that are specific to their background and expertise. In order to acquire the most obtainable information, possible content and resource providers were identified.

Due to the current prevalence of healthcare reform, the group agreed that now is the most opportune time to gather information and create a book about this topic. Jon Easter from GlaxoSmithKline said, “The best timing we’ve ever had in our whole careers is now. We don’t have to be magical; we just need to be concise and good.” Being concise is another goal for the group. Incorporating a patient-centered pharmacy care model will be the underlying theme.

Each member of the project will continue to work with Wayne Oliver and Rynnie Ross, CHT Operations Analyst, to collaborate ideas and information. The group set a goal of having each section completed by the end of 2009 and they will strive to have the entire book completed and published possibly by June 2010.