Electronic prescribing using PrescribeIT™, Canada’s e-prescribing service, will enable clinicians to monitor whether prescriptions generated by prescribers are dispensed by a pharmacy. If they are not, and clinicians feel that there could be negative consequences for their patients, there is an opportunity for follow up. While such an intervention would likely result in improved adherence rates for patients, some may feel that it infringes on patients’ autonomy. A recent study of Canadians’ perceptions of e-prescribing commissioned by Infoway found that while 81 per cent of Canadians would like to receive reminders their medication is ready for pickup at their pharmacy, only 66 per cent would want their prescriber notified if their prescriptions were not filled after seven days.
A recent paper published in Healthcare Management Forum explores the tension between patient autonomy and patient safety in more detail and presents a couple of real-life scenarios that likely occur regularly across the Canadian health care system.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on finding a balance between patient autonomy and patient safety.
1 Adherence To Long-Term Therapies: Evidence For Action, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2003. Accessed January 4, 2018.
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