Abstract
We developed an electronic prescription interactive network system enhancing collaboration of medical staffs between a hospital and community pharmacies. The system is internet-based, and transfers medical information between a university hospital in Kagawa prefecture and community pharmacies by way of a data center. Pharmacists at the community pharmacies can see prescriptions, diagnoses, laboratory data, and physician's comments which were saved at the data center using the certification function of the Healthcare Public Key Infrastructure. Physicians and other medical staff at the hospital can see corrected prescriptions, generic names, adverse events, and pharmacist's comments which were input by pharmacists and displayed on electronic medical record terminals in the hospital. Their collaboration based on sharing of such information should provide more effective, safer, and higher quality healthcare service to patients. Results of group interviews with pharmacists showed that the widespread use of the system will need understanding and motivation on the part of relevant parties such as physicians, pharmacists, patients, and society.
