title: Enhancing Practice Efficiency and Patient Care by Sharing Electronic Health Records.
abstract: One primary function of community pharmacies is to dispense medications to patients. In doing so, pharmacists frequently communicate with physicians' offices to clarify prescription orders and obtain additional information to ensure the safe and accurate dispensing of medications. Such communication is often done by telephone or fax, which is inefficient for both the pharmacy and the physician's office. This problem was highlighted in a recent American Medical Association resolution defining certain pharmacy inquiries as "interference with the practice of medicine and unwarranted." As a result, many are seeking to understand how to balance the needs of the patient care process with the need for operational efficiency in the physician's office and pharmacy. This study presents one example of a health information technology-based solution involving shared access to an electronic health record (EHR), and describes a case in which a physician's office and a community pharmacy experimented with this model to promote practice efficiency while also providing enhanced access to clinical information in both directions. The rationale behind the process change, a brief description of how the new process came into existence, and a description of how information sharing can be helpful in related clinical situations are provided. Similar models that involve sharing of EHRs may create valuable opportunities for collaboration between physicians and pharmacists to enhance patient care and improve workflow efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Megan E. Keller, PharmD, BCACP, is the director of clinical pharmacy services at Doctors Hospital Family Practice in Grove City, OH.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Sarah E. Kelling, PharmD, MPH, BCACP, is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy in Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kelling
authors.affiliation: Douglas C. Cornelius, BSPharm, is a pharmacy merchandiser at the Kroger Co. in Westerville, OH.
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Cornelius
authors.affiliation: Hafusat A. Oni, DO, is a physician at Center Street Community Health Center in Marion, OH.
authors.forename: Hafusat A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Oni
authors.affiliation: David R. Bright, PharmD, BCACP, is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ferris State University College of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, MI.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bright
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000458:organization & administration*; D066275:Health Information Exchange; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D010595:Pharmacists; D010820:Physicians; D011787:Quality of Health Care
keywords: electronic health record; interdisciplinary; pharmacy