title: Connecting primary care clinics and community pharmacies through a nationwide electronic prescribing network: A qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of medication is at the heart of primary care, but is also the cause for major health concerns. It is therefore important to examine the prescription of medication process.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study identifies the barriers and facilitators perceived by community pharmacists and primary care physicians concerning the adoption of a nationwide electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) network in the province of Quebec, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used purposive sampling to identify the most intensive users of the e-prescribing network. We conducted phone and in-person interviews. Interviews were transcribed, and we analysed their content with NVivo, using the clinical adoption framework (CAF) for the codification of the data.Results We interviewed 33 pharmacists, 2 pharmacy technicians, 11 physicians and 3 clinic managers. Adoption of the e-prescribing network was fairly low. The respondents underlined adaptation of their work environment, openness to change and perception of benefits as facilitators to the adoption of the network. However, important barriers were perceived, including system quality issues and paper prescriptions being the only legal document in the prescribing process. Even if respondents recognised that the e-prescribing network can offer substantial benefits to the prescribing process, issues still persisted and raised barriers to the full use of such a network, especially in a context where different local information systems are connected within a nationwide e-prescribing network.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study, based on the CAF, provides a better understanding of the factors related to the adoption of a nationwide e-prescribing network connecting primary care clinics and community pharmacies.
authors.affiliation: Université Laval, Canada. marie-pierre.gagnon@fsi.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.affiliation: CRCHU de Quebec, Canada. julie.payne-gagnon@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Payne-Gagnon
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management, Université de Montréal, Canada. claude.sicotte@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sicotte
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management, Université de Montréal, Canada. julie-alexandra.langue.dube@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Julie-Alexandra
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Langué-Dubé
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Health Informatics Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Canada. aude.motulsky@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Aude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Motulsky
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055695:Electronic Prescribing; D006801:Humans; D010595:Pharmacists; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011792:Quebec