It seems the e-Prescribing wars are staging another battle!
The latest round seems to have been triggered by this reported statement.
MediSecure causing concerns over patient safety
29 September 2009 | by Mark Gertskis
There are fears that a lack of integration between e-script platform MediSecure and a popular doctors' prescribing software could lead to possible infiltration by unauthorised operators and threaten patient safety.
HCN chief executive John Frost has warned that MediSecure was not supported by its widely-used Medical Director software and was accessing records without proper authority.
"We have taken this unprecedented step as we have grave concerns around patient safety," Mr Frost said.
"To date, information regarding the apparent integration of MediSecure with Medical Director 3 has not been forthcoming from the relevant parties and, hence, HCN is not aware of how MediSecure accesses prescription data from Medical Director 3.
"Our concern is due to the significant patient safety risk associated with potentially using incorrect data for e-prescribing through unsupported and hence, by definition, potentially risky access methods."
More here:
This is followed by comments from the Pharmacy Guild that the Medisecure approach is unsafe because HCN does not really know how it is being done.
We then, of course, have the inevitable response:
MediSecure dismisses HCN claims on patient safety
In response to claims from Medical Director vendor HCN yesterday that its electronic script technology may compromise patient safety the MediSecure company issued a statement overnight denying this.
MediSecure Chairman John Cunningham said that the HCN assertion is unsupported by any facts and that MediSecure takes patient safety issues very seriously.
More here (registration required):
and here:
MediSecure defends patient safety accusation
30 September 2009 | by Mark Gertskis
The MediSecure e-script platform has vigorously rejected accusations that it could threaten patient safety because it was not supported by a popular doctors' prescribing software.
Pharmacy News yesterday reported on concerns by John Frost, the chief executive of HCN, that records from its Medical Director 3 (MD3) software were being accessed by MediSecure without proper authority, putting patients at risk.
"HCN asserts that MediSecure compromises patient safety," MediSecure chief executive Phillip Shepherd said.
"They need to explain precisely how this is supposed to happen. We suggest that the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is in fact the professional body that is best placed to comment on patient safety issues.
"RACGP has not raised any issue with us, simply because they have looked at the e-prescription process and understand the professional checks and balances that are in place to ensure the best patient and health system outcomes arise from the MediSecure process."
More here:
Now I am an outsider but what it seems is going on here is an attempt on the part of the Guild to use the market share of Medical Director to drive their dominance of the prescription transmission space.
I for one would love to be a fly on the wall for the GP 09 Conference which is being held for 4 days in Perth starting on the First of October.
Here we find that Medisecure (which is associated with the RACGP who are also organising the Conference) is a Principal Sponsor and two grades lower as a Supporting Sponsor we have eRx!
See here:
There might be a few frosty exchanges of looks across the exhibition space!
Of course, as regular readers will know, I am firmly of the view that the prescription exchange infrastructure should be Government managed, have a Board that represents all stakeholders in charge, be open for use by all client systems who conform to the appropriate standards and cost no more than a cost recovery price (if anything at all).
All the finger pointing gets the wider e-Health agenda nowhere fast and just makes it hard for those who would like to get going. NEHTA and DoHA where on earth are you when you are actually needed?
David.
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