West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) is sharing the services of Pharmacy Manager David Millar with the West Haldimand General Hospital (WHGH) thanks to a web-based electronic supervision and medication order tool.
Pharm-Q Electronic Supervision is a system that allows Millar to communicate with staff, without actually being present. Using the program, nurses can scan a copy of the physicians’ orders and send it to Millar through a secure web browser. The system also provides Millar with high-definition copies of completed and filled orders, allowing him to check and double check orders before the medication is delivered to the patient.
“One of the biggest advantages is that if the need arises for my presence at WLMH, I have the flexibility to supervise the WHGM pharmacy from there,” he said.
WLMH has full-time pharmacy coverage. Millar is at WLMH three days a week, and there is a pharmacist present five days a week. Millar spends two days a week at WHGH.
“The system is a real benefit to WHGH because it allows me to oversee the pharmacy, without physically being there,” he said.
A high-definition camera is mounted above the WHGH pharmacy workstation, which allows the staff to send the pharmacist an image of medication orders.
Millar said another benefit of the Pharm-Q is the ability for pharmacists to check and re-check medication orders.
The system has been in place for just over a year, and Millar said it’s working very well.