By Jasmeet Duggal
How technology is revolutionising our health care
As it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain standards of health care, governments and private companies are beginning to use technology to improve some of their services. Tele-pharmacies are an example of how the process of receiving and dispensing prescriptions has changed dramatically.
PharmaTrust Management System
One local company that has implemented the idea of tele-pharmacies is PharmaTrust. Based in Oakville, PharmaTrust has made it possible for people in remote
locations to contact registered pharmacists via video conferencing. This has led to around the clock dispensing of over 2000 medications from pharmacists to patients in different locations.
This year, PharmaTrust started developing a personal medical management system called MedHome, after receiving a $300,000 fund from the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). MedHome has provided older adults with personal in-home devices that dispense appropriate doses of medications at set times.
With almost half of adult patients reportedly taking incorrect doses of drugs, the dispensing of monthly prescriptions at traditional pharmacies is a serious issue. “When patients receive multiple medications, they face an increased risk of complications which arise due to non-compliance and adherence to their medication orders,” says Don Waugh, CEO of PharmaTrust. MedHome takes an innovative approach to reduce this problem by ensuring that patients adhere to their prescription regimen.
Ontario’s shift towards electronic healthcare
PharmaTrust’s latest contribution to the area of tele-pharmacy comes at a time when Ontario is implementing the eHealth system. eHealth is aimed at creating permanent and easily accessible electronic health records of all Ontarians so that patient information can be shared between practitioners in order to improve healthcare services.
In today’s technology oriented society, more and more businesses are relying on electronic resources to make their businesses more efficient. The healthcare industry is no different. With the efforts of PharmaTrust and the move to eHealth, the Ontario healthcare system is embracing this shift and streamlining the process to improve services and patient’s lives.
Jasmeet is graduate student pursuing her final year in the Master of Biotechnology program at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She is currently the Communications Officer for the Altitude Accelerator, a role which has allowed her to engage in the startup culture and entrepreneurship. In her future endeavors, Jasmeet hopes to pursue a career in business development in the life sciences.
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